CATH LAB FOCUS OF PUBLIC HEARING

A public hearing concerning the proposed construction of a cardiac catherization lab at St. Francis Medical Center has been set here for Aug. 9 at 1 p.m.

The hearing will be conducted by the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee, part of the state's Certificate of Need Program. It will be held in the Missouriana Room at the University Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.

The medical center is seeking approval from the Missouri Department of Health to proceed with installation of a second lab at a cost of $1.76 million.

Dale Rauh, corporate planner and interim director of the hospital's heart institute, has said demand warrants installation of a second lab. The new, more advanced lab would be used most of the time, and the old lab would be used when necessary. More than 1,000 procedures are performed annually in the hospital's catherization lab. The lab is used in the diagnosis of heart ailments.

Michael Henry, health planning specialist with the Certificate of Need program, said public hearings are held when someone asks for a hearing. Three people called for a hearing concerning the Cape Girardeau project: Bob Cranmer, Dan Beard and Judith Thrower.

Cranmer said he requested a public hearing because he wanted more information about the project.

Since that time the Southeast Missouri Business Group on Health, of which Cranmer is president, has also asked for more information.

Cranmer said the group questions the need for the project.

Henry estimated that 10 percent of requests result in public hearings.

"Usually it has to do with some project with some sort of controversy," Henry said. "It's not a routine kind of thing."

Members of the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee aren't required to attend, but Henry said he expects at least three members to be at the Cape Girardeau meeting.

"Basically, it's just a forum for accepting public comments," he said. "We let the applicant give a description of the project and let people make comments. It isn't a debate situation. The only people who can ask questions are members of the committee."

Henry said the proceedings will be tape recorded and a synopsis of the comments presented to committee members who don't attend.