Below is an email update from Easton Town Councilwoman Kelley Malone to her constituents on Dec. 31, 2012.
Greetings all on this the last day of 2012:
I wish I had good news to share, however, on this eve of 2013 there is a cloud over the economic future of Easton and Talbot County.
Since 2007, the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and its subsidiary Shore Health System (SHS) have been planning the relocation of Memorial Hospital of Easton (MHE) to land donated by Talbot County and subsequently annexed by the Town. You may recall that the relocation within Town limits was a result of intense community involvement and activism recognizing the devastating impact a move out of Town and County would have on our local economy. MHE is the largest employer in the Town; MHE and ancillary healthcare establishments are critical to Easton’s economy. MHE is the largest utility customer of Easton Utilities. A move of the hospital out of Town would be disastrous not only to the Town’s local economy but could potentially initiate a rate increase for Easton Utilities customers.
You may recall that the alternative site considered for the relocation of our hospital was in Queen Anne’s County; there is a dire threat at the final hour from Queen Anne’s County and Senator EJ Pipkin– a threat that could devastate our local economy by at best freezing progress toward a spring ground breaking indefinitely and at worst threatening the viability of UMMS (our hospital) remaining in Easton.
The Low Down:
In September UMMS filed a Certificate of Need before the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC). Once approved, we would have had smooth sailing toward a groundbreaking ceremony planned for Spring of 2013.
However, last October, Senator Pipkin and Queen Anne’s County Commissioners appeared before the MHCC and requested a change in status for Queen Anne and Caroline Counties to a designation called “interested party.” The designation may seem minor to the lay person, however, the legal reality is that if QA and Caroline obtain “interested party” status, they will have the right to participate in the Certificate of Need process and most alarmingly, the right to file a petition for judicial review of the MHHC’s decision on the Certificate of Need in Circuit Court. It should be noted that under the rules that have been in place for many years, not even the Town of Easton or Talbot County enjoy the designation of “interested party.” Also of note: Both Easton and the County were not notified in advance of the meeting Senator Pipkin’s meeting with MHCC where he proposed the designation; we found out after the fact.
As a result, if the designation sticks, one piece of paper filed at a cost of $100 bucks by a Queen Anne or Caroline County Commissioner would all but kill years of collaborative work between Easton, Talbot County, Shore Health and UMMS to keep our hospital within Town limits.
Talbot County tax payers alone have already invested over $2,350,000 for land acquisition and water/sewer infrastructure design.
The Town has written strong letters in protest to both the MHHC and the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review (AELR). The AELR is charged with reviewing and approving or opposing the MHHC’s proposed change in designation of Queen Anne and Caroline Counties to “interested party”. We have met with Delegates Addie Eckardt, Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio and Senator Colburn, who are all solidly behind fighting this designation and have promised their full support to defeat the effort by Queen Anne’s and Caroline Counties to obtain “interested party status.” The Town and County have been in close collaboration so as to present a united and strong front in defending our hospital and econony. We need your help as well!
What can you do?
By January 15th, write (email works just as effectively as snail mail) or call the chairs of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review (AELR). (contact info below)
Ask the Joint Chairs of the AELR Committee to hold a hearing on the proposed regulation giving “interested party” status to Queen Anne’s and Caroline County. Let them know that Queen Anne and Caroline have had every opportunity in the past 5 years to be a part of the process–they have had opportunity to take a seat at the table but have not attended one public meeting in the last 5 years! It is unfair and unwise at this final hour to allow them “interested party” status. It is unfair and unwise to give them the authority to stall or even permanently stop the relocation of our hospital within our County and Town. If this were to happen the impact on our local economy would be devastating. Queen Anne’s and Caroline Counties can still have a seat at the table through a more appropriate “participating entity” status that would allow review of the application, without the authority to manipulate the process in the hope of reversing a 5-year decision keeping the hospital in the Town of Easton as opposed to relocating to Queen Anne’s County.
Thank you in advance residents, friends, and neighbors for your help in keeping our hospital here as it has been since 1907 and where it will always belong. Let us hope for a groundbreaking of the new hospital within Town limits in our New Year!
ANNE HEALEY, Joint Chair AELR
Democrat, District 22, Prince George’s County
House Office Building, Room 350
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3961, (301) 858-3961
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3961 (toll free)
e-mail: [email protected]
fax: (410) 841-3223, (301) 858-3223
3920 Madison St., Hyattsville, MD 20781
(301) 779-4515; fax: (301) 779-4515
PAUL G. PINSKY, Joint Chair AELR
Democrat, District 22, Prince George’s County
James Senate Office Building, Room 220
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3155, (301) 858-3155
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3155 (toll free)
e-mail: [email protected]
fax: (410) 841-3144, (301) 858-3144
Please copy or inform our delegation of your correspondence:
RICHARD F. COLBURN
Republican, District 37, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot & Wicomico Counties
James Senate Office Building, Room 315
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3590, (301) 858-3590
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3590 (toll free)
e-mail: [email protected]
fax: (410) 841-3087, (301) 858-3087
Dorchester County:
5210 Heron Road, Cambridge, MD 21613
(410) 228-1137; fax: (410) 376-3737
Talbot County: (410) 819-3337
ADELAIDE C. (ADDIE) ECKARDT
Republican, District 37B, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, & Wicomico Counties
House Office Building, Room 213
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3343, (301) 858-3343
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3343 (toll free)
e-mail: [email protected]
fax: (410) 841-3299, (301) 858-3299
601 Locust St., Suite 202, Cambridge, MD 21613 – 1012
(410) 221-6561; fax: (410) 221-6561
JEANNIE HADDAWAY-RICCIO
Republican, District 37B, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot & Wicomico Counties
House Office Building, Room 212
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3429, (301) 858-3429
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3429 (toll free)
e-mail: [email protected]
fax: (410) 841-3523, (301) 858-3523
32 South Washington St., Suite 1, Easton, MD 21601
(410) 820-8043; fax: (410) 820-8759
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