WellStar Puts Brakes on Emergency Department in Holly Springs

WellStar Health System has put off plans to expand into Holly Springs.

The company is not pursuing a proposal to build a free-standing emergency department on 62 acres on the southwest corner of Sixes Road and I-575.

WellStar last month filed a letter of intent with Georgia Department of Community Health to build the proposed $21 million off-site emergency center, but did not proceed with filing a Certificate of Need review.

The CON has to be filed 30 days after a letter of intent is filed with the department. 

WellStar Spokesperson Keith Bowermaster said there's "no precedent" in Georgia for a free-standing emergency department to get the CON stamp of approval. 

"We are very interested in this clinical model, but [we] elected to not file the CONs at this time," he said. "We anticipate that DCH will define a path for serving the community with this new approach."

Bowermaster went on to say that free-standing emergency departments "are consistent with WellStar's commitment to innovative outpatient services."

The state department's Certificate of Need Program evaluates proposals for new health care facilities or services. 

WellStar's concept was presented last month to the Holly Springs Planning and Zoning Commission, but the commission tabled making a recommendaiton until its Feb. 28 meeting. 

WellStar made the same decision late last month when it decided not to go through with the CON process for a facility in the Towne Lake area. 

The company in October submitted a letter of intent to the state to build a $23 million medical facility at 145 North Medical Parkway, but later decided to halt its plans to file for a certificate of need review.