Pressure is mounting against plans for an orthopedic hospital in Delray Beach, Fla., and Palm Beach County commissioners are set to vote on it July 22.
Here's what you should know ahead of the vote:
1. The proposed hospital would have 24 beds. The South Florida Spine & Orthopedic Institute would co-own the facility with 29 local spine and orthopedic surgeons.
2. Alliance of DelRay Residential Association voiced opposition to the plans, saying there are two nearby hospitals that serve the community.
3. Healthcare providers are also pushing back on the plans. Delray Medical Center argued the proposed hospital should be rejected since it would have a negative financial impact for area hospitals. The Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute in West Palm Beach, Fla. also argued that a specialty hospital could harm community hospitals.
4. Palm Beach County's zoning commission unanimously endorsed plans for the hospital, saying there was a "strong need" for the facility.
5. Robert Norton, MD, and Elvis Grandic, MD, two of the physicians proposing the facility, said the hospital was needed because of Palm Beach County's projected baby boomer population growth. That figure is expected to increase 40 percent by 2030.