Anne Arundel Medical Center has won legal approval to move forward with its plans to add a cardiac surgery program.
A ruling made in the Prince George’s County Circuit Court Tuesday gave the Annapolis hospital legal clearance to host the state’s newest open heart surgery program. The decision comes after Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) has battled two other nearby hospitals, University of Maryland’s Baltimore Washington Medical Center (BWMC) and Prince George’s Hospital Center (PGHC), over the project for about three years.
Baltimore Washington Medical Center was hoping to win approval for a new cardiac program over Anne Arundel Medical. Both hospitals had filed for certificates of need with the Maryland Health Care Commission in 2015, but state regulators decided demand for such a program was only high enough for one hospital to win the bid. And PGHC, which was previously owned by Dimensions Healthcare System, had expressed concerns that AAMC’s program would poach some of its own open heart patients.
The health care commission ruled in AAMC’s favor more than a year ago. But BWMC and Prince George’s Hospital Center quickly filed for judicial review of the decision. A circuit court judge granted a stay of the AAMC project in June, and the hospital has been unable to move forward with its plans.
Tuesday’s ruling upheld the commission’s initial decision and the stay has been lifted.