California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of July 18, 2014
Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo
On Tuesday, health experts presented two last-ditch efforts to the West Contra Costa Healthcare District Board aimed at saving San Pablo-based Doctors Medical Center, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Contra Costa Health Services Director William Walker said the first scenario called for downsizing the hospital to include just 15 beds and an emergency department. The second would downsize the hospital to include only an emergency department, paired with expanded primary care capacity in the area (Rogers, Contra Costa Times, 7/15).
Loma Linda University Health
On Tuesday, Loma Linda University Health officials said they are moving forward with plans to expand a medical center on its main campus by constructing two new facilities using a $100 million donation, the Orange County Register reports.
Loma Linda CEO and President Richard Hart said the donation was to the group's philanthropic campaign, which seeks to raise a total of $350 million for the expansion (Muckenfuss, Orange County Register, 7/15).
Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla
Scripps Research Institute and the University of Southern California have canceled talks to discuss a possible affiliation between the entities, the Los Angeles Times' "L.A. Now" reports (Gordon, "L.A. Now," Los Angeles Times, 7/10).
Scripps recently confirmed that it was looking into a potential merger with or sale to USC. However, Scripps faculty members in an email to SRI President Michael Marletta last month objected to the proposed merger or takeover, saying such a deal could "destroy much of what has been built and what we and others in the community value so much" (California Healthline, 6/27).
Seton Medical Center, Daly City
Some Seton Medical Center patients and employers are advancing a campaign calling to preserve jobs and services in light of the center's impending sale, the San Francisco Examiner reports (Bartholomew, San Francisco Examiner, 7/16).
Daughters of Charity Health System, which operates the center, announced last month that it received bids from several interested parties to either purchase the entire system or individual hospitals (California Healthline, 6/13).
Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Bay Area
Last week, Stanford Hospital & Clinics announced that it is changing its name to Stanford Health Care, the San Francisco Business Journal's "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.
Amir Dan Rubin, the health system's president and CEO, said, "As our organization innovates and expands ... our communications approach is evolving as well." Further, officials noted that a retooled website and multimedia advertising campaign will soon launch to support the rebranding effort (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 7/10).
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