Medical Center, Inc. v. State Health Planning Agency

Pope, Presiding Judge.

The Medical Center, Inc. (“TMC”) provides obstetric and neonatal services to residents of Columbus, Georgia and the surrounding area. In January 1991, the State Health Planning Agency (“SHPA”) approved TMC’s application for a certificate of need to renovate certain areas of its hospital, including its obstetric unit. One month later, SHPA denied two applications for new perinatal services, which were filed by Columbus Doctors Hospital, Inc. (“Doctors”) and St. Francis Hospital, Inc. (“St. Francis”).

Doctors and St. Francis appealed the denial of their applications and the…