The sandbox battle between Inova Loudoun and HCA’s proposed Broadlands Regional Medical Center continues.

Popcorn, anyone?

First, a few mentions of the ongoing issue in Friday’s newspapers. Steve Pearlstein wrote in The Post about the Federal Trade Commission suing Inova for possible anti-trust violations down in Prince William County, and, an op-ed appeared in the Wall Street Journal titled “An Unhealthy Merger,” which claims that Inova is battling HCA in order to remain the sole health care provider in Loudoun.

Recently, a new player has entered the hospital sandbox, joining forces with Concerned Citizens of Broadlands. The National Nurses Organizing Committee claims to be the largest nurses union in the country, and it doesn’t want BRMC to be built either. An Inova Loudoun spokesman said today that it has no affiliation with NNOC regarding this venture.

So why is the nurses union against a hospital in Broadlands?

Kathy McGregor, an NNOC organizer who was at a press conference this morning at the county courthouse in Leesburg, said that because HCA is the largest employer of RNs in the U.S., it’s formed the HCA RN Network to protect their members from what McGregor alleged are poor working conditions.

I asked McGregor if her union will be lobbying for members in HCA’s new hospital if it is built and she replied “yes” -- so they can’t be completely against a new hospital, right?

Also at this press conference were five members of the Concerned Citizens of Broadlands who do not want a hospital built adjacent to their neighborhood.

Corinne Osius is worried about what BRMC traffic will do to the family-friendly neighborhood. “Kids play hockey in the street, they ride their bikes and walk to school. What’s going to happen when a hospital comes in? The traffic is going to be terrible.”

Mark Booth, a Broadlands resident and spokesperson for the citizens group, stated, “We object to having BRMC built in our neighborhood -- the traffic, noise and lighting will pollute our community and endanger our children.”

Members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee and the Concerned Citizens of Broadlands protest the building of BRMC.

Both the Concerned Citizens of Broadlands and NNOC would prefer to see a hospital built along the Route 50 corridor, where it would have less impact on residents. Booth told me, “We don’t understand why BRMC has not moved to build down there -- this conflict would have been resolved by now.”

HCA officials claim that Route 50 doesn’t yet have the resident population in Dulles South to support such a facility. Both HCA and Inova have purchased land in that area, so I guess the next scramble we have to look forward to in the years to come will be who gets the state’s Certificate of Public Need to build there.

Speaking of COPNs -- this just in -- the Virginia Supreme Court on Friday denied Inova Loudoun’s legal challenge of HCA’s certificate of public need, which was granted by former State Health Commissioner Robert B. Stroube.

Also an interesting read, is a letter to State Health Commissioner Karen Remley from the Executive Director of the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia, Dean Montgomery, arguing against a COPN extension for HCA.

Montgomery claims in this letter that HCA hasn't produced sufficient evidence of progress at the BRMC site, which is required when granting an extension. HCA claims work was delayed by the previous Loudoun Board of Supervisors when they failed to approve the site exception.

Remley granted HCA an extension to it’s COPN on May 12 to build BRMC, despite letters of opposition from HSA, Concerned Citizens of Broadlands and Inova Loudoun.

So, what do you think?

Is HCA, the largest hospital system in the U.S., being predatory by building so close to Inova Loudoun Hospital? If built, it will be five miles from ILH and close to a residential neighborhood. (Inova to HCA: No fair! Go play in the other corner of the sandbox!)

HCA says it will be bringing much-needed hospital beds to a large and growing population base of Loudoun County with easy access to the Dulles Greenway. Inova says residents will continue to leave the county for health care.

Or,

Is Inova, the largest hospital system in Northern Virginia, running a comfortable monopoly here in Loudoun? (HCA to Inova: No fair! I want to play, too!)

HCA says competition will be better for us -- lower costs, more choices, increased care, more tax revenue and road improvements for the county. Inova says with a decrease in market share, ILH won’t have the funds to bring new services to Loudoun. Inova also says prices are inflated in HCA hospital markets.

Is it possible that these two hospitals can get along and be profitable in this sandbox called Loudoun County?

Please, pass the popcorn.