Franklin Hospital's Proposed Move Denied

The state on Friday quashed a proposed move of Franklin Regional Medical Center from its location on U.S. Highway 401 in Louisburg to a site in Youngsville.

The state Division of Health Service Regulation denied the necessary certificate of need for which Franklin Regional had applied. Among the findings cited in the state's 71-page decision was a determination that low-income and minority residents in the county would have to travel father for medical care if the hospital moved.

Hospital administrators said the move to Youngsville is necessary to accommodate Franklin County's growing population. The $103 million proposed hospital would include 188,000 square feet of space and provide 70 acute-care beds and three operating rooms.

This is the second time the hospital's move has been rejected. Franklin Regional added support from Rex Hospital after an initial application failed last summer.

Rex Hospital and Franklin Regional conducted a poll in Franklin County in January and reported that they found 70 percent of residents were in favor of the proposed move. Louisburg town officials discounted the results, however, claiming the poll questions were skewed in favor of the move.