Community Health Centers, Hospitals Increasingly Battling Over Same Patient Population
Federally qualified health centers, like Southern California's AltaMed, have become sleeping giants in the health care industry. Meanwhile, workers plan a protest ahead of a merger between Mercy Hospital Southwest Tuesday and Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.
Modern Healthcare:
Collide Or Collaborate? Community Health Centers And Hospitals Work Through Their Overlap
AltaMed, a Southern California health system, has a storied beginning. In the 1960s, volunteer physicians and nurses served patients out of an East Los Angeles barrio clinic, where they kept a 5-gallon water jug to collect any spare money people could offer."We've come a long way from a free clinic in the 1960s, then to a clinic of last resort, to where we are today—a provider of choice," said Cástulo de la Rocha, AltaMed's CEO. (Luthi, 2/17)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Healthcare Workers To Protest Dignity Mega-Merger Tuesday At Mercy Hospital Southwest
Hundreds of union healthcare workers plan to protest outside of two local hospitals this month as they demand better wages, benefits and pathways to improving patient care ahead of a merger between two healthcare giants that would be worth billions. The protests taking place outside of Mercy Hospital Southwest Tuesday and Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Feb. 28 are part of a statewide demonstration this week, with employees at 27 hospitals taking part. (Pierce, 2/19)
And in other hospital and health system news —
Los Angeles Times:
Dignity Health Glendale Crowns A ‘Royal Court’ Of Heart Patients
For 23 years, Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital has recognized patients in its care who've shown a commitment to changing their lifestyle after experiencing a major cardiac condition. On Thursday, five patients chosen by the hospital's cardiac fitness staff earned the title of King or Queen of Hearts for their continued lifestyle changes as part of their cardiac recovery efforts, such as years of sticking to a specific diet and exercise. (Landa, 2/16)
The Desert Sun:
District Expansion Expected To Improve Healthcare Access In The East Valley
A planned expansion of the Desert Healthcare District is expected to improve health care access for east valley residents. About 30 percent of patients at Desert Regional Hospital are residents of the east valley, Herb Schultz, CEO of the Desert Healthcare District, said. Resources that their western neighbors take for granted can be hard to come by on the valley's other end. (Maschke, 2/19)