Just days ago, in a letter dated Feb. 11th, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Boston Children’s Hospital must provide an independent analysis that demonstrates the its expansion project —the one that includes destroying the Prouty Garden —is “consistent with the Commonwealth’s efforts to meet . . . health care cost-containment goals.”
Essentially, state regulators want to be sure that the planned $1 billion campus expansion won’t undercut their efforts to restrain growth in health care costs. According to news stories, this is only the second time in history that the state has required such a cost analysis.
For supporters of the Prouty Garden, this is a positive sign that the Department is carefully weighing BCH's application to expand its campus.
By law in Massachusetts, if a hospital wants to expand, significantly change, or construct new facilities, the hospital must apply to the Department of Public Health (“the Department”) for a “Determination of Need” (“DoN”). The Department must find that there is a need for the proposed project in order to approve the application. If the Department does not approve the DoN application, the proposed project cannot be built.
We will have more on the DoN process, including how YOU can help, in the days ahead. In the meantime, please share the Boston Globe and Boston Herald articles (linked below) with your family and friends.
And remember, this is not over!
-FPG
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