OB Hospital Backed By Hearing Officer

OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. - A state health hearing officer has recommended approval of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare's request to build a hospital in Olive Branch.

The Commercial Appeal reports that recommendation now goes to the state health officer Dr. Mary Currier and the state Board of Health.

Memphis-based Methodist Le Bonheur wants to build a $137 million hospital in Olive Branch.

Memphis-based Baptist Memorial Healthcare, which operates Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven, has opposed the Methodist bid in the past but said it wasn't necessarily opposed this time.

Alliance Healthcare System Inc. of Holly Springs initially opposed the Methodist request but dropped its opposition during an earlier Health Department hearing.