Tarpon Springs General Hospital v. Office of Community Medical Facilities, Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services

The hearing officer’s order, adopted as the final order of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS), recommended appellant be denied a certificate of need to expand its facilities in a proposed $6.6 million expenditure. The hearing officer agreed with earlier recommendations of the Florida Gulf Health Systems Agency that the proposed bed expansion was unnecessary, that the costs of the project would increase medical costs to patients and that less expensive alternatives were available. See § 381.494(5)(e), Fla.Stat. (1977).

Appellant contends that the denial was based, in…