Ameris Health, along with its administrator, Kim Ballard, have officially filed a contest to Vaughan Regional Medical Center’s expansion.

The expected move comes after Vaughan CEO Gene Wright contested the construction of an outpatient surgical center less than a mile from the Vaughan Parkway Campus.

“As I’ve always said, we had to protect our investment, and the only way to do that was to object to their [certificate of need] application,” Ballard said.

The Times-Journal has been unable to obtain a copy of Ameris’ contest of the hospital’s expansion. However, Wright confirmed that a contest had been filed with the State Health Planning and Development Agency.

“Commissioner Ballard has made good on his threat,” said Wright in a short statement.

Ballard, a former administrator at Selma Baptist Hospital before its sale to Province Healthcare Inc., currently works as the administrator of Hill Hospital in York, Ala. He has said his role in the construction of an outpatient surgical center is strictly in a consulting manner.

“Mr. Wright always refers to ‘Commissioner Ballard,’ but ‘Commissioner Ballard’ works for Ameris Health,” Ballard said. “This is Ameris’ project.”

Ameris, an upstart healthcare company in Nashville, owns Hill Hospital where Ballard is currently employed.

Ameris and Ballard had until June 27 to contest the Vaughan expansion, and according to Ballard, a Montgomery attorney did file the contest.

“I’m not ever sure what it says,” Ballard said. “I know the attorney was instructed to file it, so I’m sure it happened.”

On June 10, Vaughan contested the construction of an outpatient surgical center because it would “threaten the much-needed, timely expansion of the emergency room, intensive care unit and operating rooms at Vaughan Regional Medical Center…,” according to John B. Morris, chairman of Vaughan’s operating board.

Ballard contends that physicians in Dallas County have shown an enormous amount of interest in building an outpatient surgical center because many patients leave Selma for other cities to have medical procedures completed.

“There has been more than enough interest shown by physicians that prompted us to pursue this investment,” Ballard said.

As far as what happens next in the process, Ballard said the two sides would appear before a state health planning board to determine whether they can receive a certificate of need, which is required to operate a medical facility in the state of Alabama.

“It will be a lot like a court hearing,” Ballard said. “Both sides will present their case based on the merits of why they should be granted a CON.”

Vaughan has proposed a $16 million expansion of its emergency room, intensive care unit and a new outpatient surgical center.

Ameris wants to build a $2.7 million outpatient surgical center.