Court refuses to reconsider hospital ruling

JACKSON — The Mississippi Supreme Court has refused to reconsider its ruling that the University of Mississippi Medical Center must follow the state’s certificate-of-need law.

The court yesterday denied requests to revisit its June ruling.

Mississippi’s CON law limits where hospitals can locate and expand and what services they can provide.

The court ruled UMMC, as a competitor in the hospital marketplace, must abide by the same CON laws as the other 100-plus hospitals in Mississippi. However, the court said state health officials can determine when UMMC must do so.

UMMC said it was not subject to the CON law. St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital, Health Management Associates and Mississippi Baptist Medical Center took the view that the laws apply to UMMC as to all hospitals.