ProMedica’s request to move hearing denied

4/6/2011

An administrative law judge has denied ProMedica’s request to move to Toledo or northwest Ohio at least part of the Federal Trade Commission hearing on whether it is anti-competitive for St. Luke’s Hospital to join the nonprofit hospital chain.

D. Michael Chappell, chief administrative law judge, said changing the location for the hearing scheduled to begin May 31 in Washington would require him to travel to northwest Ohio and affect other cases. He has another trial scheduled to begin May 24, so changing the hearing location would require him to spend a significant amount of time away from Washington in the following week, he added in a denial order filed last week.

The FTC has estimated the hearing involving ProMedica and St. Luke’s will have up to 210 hours of testimony. A decision is expected by year’s end.