HCA Healthcare, one of the largest for-profit hospital operators in the United States, is seeking approval from Florida regulators to build a 100-bed hospital somewhere in Lee County, News Press reported.
HCA’s plans are not clear yet as the company filed a letter of intent with the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration under the name Medical Center of Southwest Florida LLC earlier this month.
The LLC lists its primary address as One Park Plaza in Nashville, which is the address of HCA’s corporate headquarters. Its legal representative is listed as Timothy Burroughs, the chief financial officer of HCA’s West Florida Division, according to the report.
“It’s unclear how successful HCA might be in getting a new hospital built. State regulators several years ago blocked a plan by Lee Health to build an 80-bed hospital in south Lee County, stating that another hospital was not needed in the region,” the publication said its report.
The hospital operator is expected to make a more formal application, including more information about its plans, on March 7.
