USF gets House muscle in hospital bid

House Speaker-in-the-making Will Weatherford just filed a bill that would allow USF to build its own teaching hospital by exempting state universities meeting certain benchmarks from certificate of need (CON) requirements.

The proposal from Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, is similar to a bill filed recently by Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole. But Weatherford's support is a notable boost for USF, given his high profile and political clout.

Then again, the Florida Hospital Association is a mighty force opposed to such certificate of need changes...