The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) announces the issuance of a Certificate of Need (CON) for the following project:

Forrest General Hospital
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Construction, Relocation/Transfer of 30 Existing Orthopedic Beds

Forrest General Hospital received Certificate of Need authority to construct and relocate/transfer 30 existing orthopedic beds.

The proposed project entails constructing and relocating/transferring 30 existing orthopedic beds to a new freestanding satellite orthopedic institute campus. According to Forrest General, the hospital will enter into an operating lease for the building which will house the freestanding orthopedic institute.

The total capital expenditure for this project is $31,264,770.

Mississippi's Certificate of Need process is a fundamental component of the state's health planning and health regulatory activities. In managing the Certificate of Need process, the Department seeks to prevent unnecessary duplication of health resources; to provide cost containment; to improve the health of Mississippi residents; and to increase accessibility, acceptability, continuity and quality of health services.

The MSDH has administered the Certificate of Need program since July 1986. During that period, more than 1,300 Certificate of Need applications have been reviewed, representing total capital expenditures of approximately $4 billion. The next Certificate of Need monthly meeting will be March 27, 2008, at the MSDH offices in Jackson.

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Press Contact: Liz Sharlot, Carol Jones or Elizabeth Grey, (601) 576-7667.