Oregon Public Health Division officials today issued a proposed order to Albany General Hospital granting a certificate of need to develop a freestanding inpatient hospice facility in Albany. The facility will be known as Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House. It will be located at 4600 Evergreen Place S.E., Albany, on the southwest corner of Waverly Drive and Del Rio Ave.

The facility will have 12 patient rooms for inpatient and respite care of terminally ill patients. The addition of this facility will bring the number of freestanding inpatient hospice facilities in Oregon to three; the other two are in Bend and Portland.

The order issued today is a proposed order. Any affected party who takes exception to the proposed order may ask Oregon Public Health Division to hold an informal hearing. If a request for a hearing is not received by April 22, 2011, the proposed order will automatically become final.

Under state certificate of need law, Albany General Hospital was required to seek state approval for development of this facility but is one of six such facilities eligible to proceed under an abbreviated review process. The law’s purpose is to see that health services are adequately distributed around the state without unnecessary duplication of services or excessive cost to patients.

For further information about this project, please contact Jana Fussell, Certificate of Need coordinator, at (971)673-1108.

For information about supporting the hospice house project, contact Kim Sass at (541) 812-4705.

*Information provided by the Oregon Health Authority.