WPC <qB>v (tdՠ!Y'wKfGƍy(~i/v8u2.i7!+M?j]}vZ?=[`HmីcWIc4HAqaRHEL ;/6ܹo;_2.v/7Kr(Xaq.'}c-x98K60M8.ܓ00 as&v uqK>1([nV1&AeC2ESI$n {HY<[ljxe0Q>4񠽫01I9K3Ln8Nl\X5@gt#C*䕮ZE¨ W t2)X?'/xM]u6GLX0%x~f-= ڳF7_7SLpqڭK\βqyK *# LU:W % 0(b w@4 . 0l 0D$hU: . U:  U: B0 AQM  0Dd 0D 0D D/00 B_ D3|HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLl,  AZ"Arial RegularX($- - DDD D ӀF&$3|x   XX     1    Wehavereviewedtherecorddespitepersuasiveauthoritythattheconcurrentfindingsofthe  agencyandthechancellorareconclusiveonappeal.SeeCFIndustriesv.PSC,599S.W.2d536(Tenn.  1980).((3$ !      0  (#$  0      ֠XX     1    Wehavereviewedtherecorddespitepersuasiveauthoritythattheconcurrentfindingsofthe  agencyandthechancellorareconclusiveonappeal.SeeC.F.Industriesv.PSC,599S.W.2d536  (Tenn.1980).,  AZ"Arial Regular   XX     1    Wehavereviewedtherecorddespitepersuasiveauthoritythattheconcurrentfindingsofthe  agencyandthechancellorareconclusiveonappeal.Seecf.Industriesv.PSC,599S.W.2d536(Tenn.  1980).,  AZ"Arial Regular ""  XOXXXTXXO   Ad FILEDXOXT  April30,1999CecilCrowson,Jr.AppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular d!"#$&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ((' dxdP Pd'dxd !  TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T7OXXdd7    &CXX   r )<,(j 8` `@E ` 8ttxP,  r t )>.*jx"` `@E*` 8ttxP " t@  INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@(ATNASHVILLE XOX&CԈ  ERWINCAREPARTNERS,LTD.,  )     0      8   ) Petitioner/Appellant, 8   )  AppealNo.     0      8   )  01A019806CH00286  VS.  0      8   ) zr    0      8   )  DavidsonChancery `X  CENTERONAGINGANDHEALTH,  )  No.971924III(I)   H!  #  F>  LLC,andTHETENNESSEEHEALTH  ) ,$  FACILITIESCOMMISSION, 8   )     0      8   ) Respondents/Appellees. 8   )   @U U APPEALEDFROMTHECHANCERYCOURTOFDAVIDSONCOUNTY@#ATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEE@ THEHONORABLEIRVINH.KILCREASE,CHANCELLORDANH.ELRODKATHRYNJ.LADD2500NashvilleCityCenter511UnionStreetNashville,Tennessee372191738 AttorneysforErwinCarePartners,Ltd.WILLIAMC.BOVENDERJIMMIEC.MILLERP.O.Box3740Kingsport,Tennessee37664 AttorneysforCenteronAgingandHealth,LLCJOHNKNOXWALKUPAttorneyGeneralandReporterMICHELLEHOHNKEJOSSAssistantAttorneyGeneral425FifthAvenueNorthNashville,Tennessee37243 AttorneyforTheTennesseeHealthFacilitiesCommissioner@$AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED  0      8     BENH.CANTRELL,  0      8     PRESIDINGJUDGE,M.S.CONCUR:KOCH,J.CAIN,J.  928  LzXXO@tt(OPINION XOXLzԈ    0 ThisisareviewofthedecisionoftheHealthFacilitiesCommissiongrantingacertificateofneedtotheCenteronAgingandHealth,LLCfora120bednursinghomeinErwin.TheChanceryCourtofDavidsonCountyfoundthattheCommissionsdecisionwassupportedbysubstantialandmaterialevidence.Weaffirm.@- I.  d\   0 Healthcarefacilitiesarehighlyregulatedbythestate.ThelegislaturehasdecreedthatfacilitiesbebuiltonlyafterthebuilderreceivesacertificateofneedfromtheHealthFacilitiesCommission.Tenn.CodeAnn.6811106.Atthetimetheappelleeappliedforacertificateofneedinthiscase,theCommissionwasrequiredtoconsiderwhether(1)thefacilityisnecessaryinordertoprovideneededhealthcareinthearea,(2)thefacilitycanoperateeconomically,and(3)thefacilitywillcontributetotheorderlydevelopmentofadequateandeffectivehealthcarefacilitiesand/orservices.Tenn.CodeAnn.6811108(b).  0 TheCommissionmetandapprovedthecertificateofneedonNovember14,1995.Inaccordancewiththestatutoryscheme,ErwinCarePartners,Ltd.(ECP),theoperatorofanexistingnursinghomeinUnicoiCountyandacontestantbeforetheCommission,requestedacontestedcasehearing.Tenn.CodeAnn.6811109.ThehearingwasheldonOctober13,1996beforeanadministrativelawjudge,whoseinitialordergrantingthecertificatewasenteredonJanuary24,1997.ECPappealedtheinitialordertothefullcommission,andonApril11,1997theCommissionenteredafinalorderadoptingtheorderoftheadministrativelawjudge.  816   0 ECPthenfiledapetitionforreviewintheChanceryCourtofDavidson County.SeeTenn.CodeAnn.45322.OnApril23,1998thechancellorentered  amemorandumopinionaffirmingtheCommissionsfinalorder.@- II.     0 ECParguesonappeal,astheyhaveateverystepofthisproceeding,thattheapplicantdidnotoffersubstantialandmaterialevidencesatisfyingthethreerequirementsofTenn.CodeAnn.6811108(b).Thestatutoryschemeinthisarea,however,placestheburdenonECP,oncetheCommissionhasvotedtograntthecertificate,toprovebyapreponderanceoftheevidenceinthecontestedcasehearingthatthecertificateshouldnothavebeengranted.Tenn.CodeAnn.6811109(b).Thus,thequestionwemustdecideiswhetherECPhascarrieditsburdenofshowingthatthefacilityisnotneeded,isnotfinanciallyfeasible,orwillnotcontributetotheorderlydevelopmentofadequateandeffectivehealthcarefacilitiesand/orservices.  0 TheadministrativelawjudgefoundthatECPhadfailedtocarrythatburden.TheCommissionadoptedthosefindingsinitsfinalorder.Onreview,thechancellorfoundthattheagencysfindingsweresupportedbysubstantialandmaterialevidence.ECPasksustopenetratethismultilayeredinsulationoftheagencysdecisionandweightheevidenceforourselves.Thisisnotourtask,however.Ourjob,aswasthechancellors,istoseeiftheagencysdecisionissupportedbysubstantialandmaterialevidence.HumanaofTenn.v.HealthFacilities H0@), Commission,551S.W.2d664(Tenn.1977).Wehavereviewedtherecordand (2 +. concurinthechancellorsassessmentoftheproof.    %  1       4-0  5.2   0 ECPattacksthefactualfindingsoftheadministrativelawjudgeprimarilybyattackingthecredibilityoftheapplicantsprincipalwitness.Butwearefarbeyondthepointwherethecredibilityofthewitnessesisafactor.UniversityofTenn.v.   Elliott,4785U.S.788(1986),and.Wecantakeintoaccountwhateverdetractsfromtheweightoftheevidence,butwecannotsubstituteourjudgmentforthatofthe   Commissionastotheweightoftheevidenceonaquestionoffact.Tenn.CodeAnn.45322(h).  0 Theapplicantasksustofindthatthisisafrivolousappeal.Wedeclinetodoso,however,becausewethinktheappealwasbroughtingoodfaithandnottohinderordelay.Tenn.CodeAnn.271122.  0 ThejudgmentofthecourtbelowisaffirmedandthecauseisremandedtotheChanceryCourtofDavidsonCounty.Taxthecostsonappealtotheappellant.  0      8      @      H!  #   0      8   _________________________________  0      8   BENH.CANTRELL,  0      8   PRESIDINGJUDGE,M.S.CONCUR:_____________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE_____________________________WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE  3,/    gXX9S  @.INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @(ATNASHVILLE   X9SXgERWINCAREPARTNERS,LTD.,  ) v n   0      8   ) Petitioner/Appellant, 8   )  AppealNo. VN   0      8   )  01A019806CH00286 F> VS.  0      8   ) 6.    0      8   )  DavidsonChancery &  CENTERONAGINGANDHEALTH,  )  No.971924III(I)   H!  #    LLC,andTHETENNESSEEHEALTH  )   FACILITIESCOMMISSION, 8   )  Affirmedand     0      8   )  Remanded    Respondents/Appellees. 8   )#gXX9Sk!#X9SXg  gXX9S @uu'JUDGMENT   X9SXg  0 Thiscausecameontobeheardupontherecordonappealfromthe  ChanceryCourtofDavidsonCounty,briefsandargumentofcounsel;uponconsiderationwhereof,thisCourtisoftheopinionthatinthedecreeoftheChancellorthereisnoreversibleerror.  0 InaccordancewiththeopinionoftheCourtfiledherein,itis,therefore,orderedanddecreedbythisCourtthatthedecreeisaffirmed.ThecauseisremandedtotheChanceryCourtofDavidsonCountyfortheenforcementofthedecreeandforthecollectionofthecostsaccruedbelow.  0 CostsofthisappealaretaxedagainstErwinCarePartners,Ltd.,Principal,andTrabue,Sturdivant&DeWitt,Surety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  0      8 _____________________________________  0      8 BENH.CANTRELL,PRESIDINGJUDGE,M.S.  0      8 _____________________________________  0      8 WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE  0      8 _____________________________________  0      8 WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE  0