According to Public Relations Director John Lines, Lancaster General is under no legal requirement to demonstrate a public health need for the proposed West Earl inpatient hospital and medical center. The facility would be located less than 3 miles from Ephrata Community Hospital, which runs at a capacity lighter than the national average for hospitals of its kind.
Last week, NewsLanc reported that, with no Certificate of Need (CON) program in Pennsylvania, the Department of Health would not play a role in verifying the public need for LGH’s proposed facility. Following that report, NewsLanc contacted Lines to determine whether there remained any other regulations similar to a CON. Through an email inquiry, NewsLanc asked:
“With no State-level Certificate of Need program in place, are there any other government agencies, programs, or authorities that must verify the need for a new medical facility such as the one proposed for West Earl?”
In reply, Lines simply answered, “No.”
