The long-awaited Prince George’s County regional hospital is too big and too expensive to win state regulatory approval without major changes, according to the Maryland Health Care Commission member reviewing the project.
Commissioner Robert E. Moffit told project leaders last week that they must reduce the number of beds, shave off square footage and bring down the price by more than $100 million before he can recommend approval of a “certificate of need.”
The teaching hospital, projected to cost $651 million, has been touted for years as a crucial part of improving health care for Prince George’s residents and bringing high-paying jobs and economic development to the county. It had strong backing from then-Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and continues to be a priority for leaders of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly in Annapolis.
But delays in receiving state approval have pushed the hospital’s projected opening date from 2017 to at least 2020 — and that was before the latest round of questions. Twice in the past two years, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has clashed with Democratic lawmakers over state funding for the hospital.