California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of August 1, 2014
Daughters of Charity Health System
The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West and the California Nurses Association have voiced concerns about a bid by Prime Healthcare Services to purchase the Daughters of Charity Health System, the San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa Times reports. The unions say they are concerned that such a purchase would reduce health care access for low-income patients and that Prime would cut health system workers' pay and benefits (Seipel, San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa Times, 7/28).
The unions have asked California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) to stop the proposed sale until the completion of a federal investigation into allegations that Prime overbilled Medicare by misdiagnosing patients (Lynch, Silicon Valley Business Journal, 7/29). In addition, SEIU-UHW has urged California lawmakers to stop accepting political contributions from Prime and its CEO (California Healthline, 7/11).
Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo
Doctors Medical Center CEO Dawn Gideon said 66 staff members have left the facility since early May and about 24 more have submitted resignations, the Contra Costa Times reports. While the employee departures have not affected services at the center, hospital officials say that services could be affected if the more of the remaining staff members resign.
The resignations come amid continued efforts to keep the center from closing (Rogers, Contra Costa Times, 7/28).
Miller Children's Hospital, Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Torrance Memorial Medical Center has partnered with Long Beach-based Miller Children's Hospital to expand pediatric services available in Los Angeles County's South Bay region, Payers & Providers reports.
Under the agreement, physicians from Miller's pediatric specialty care group will provide inpatient consultations for children in Torrance's pediatric unit (Payers & Providers, 7/31).
Tri-City Hospital, Oceanside
The charitable foundation of Tri-City Hospital has awarded the hospital $1,061,065 to upgrade its equipment and services, U-T San Diego reports.
The grant is intended to boost cardiac health services, emergency mental health services and orthopaedic care (McIntosh, U-T San Diego, 7/24).
UC-San Francisco Medical Center
On Tuesday, the UC-San Francisco Medical Center announced it is partnering with John Muir Health to form an accountable care organization, the Contra Costa Times reports.
According to a joint release, the providers will continue to remain independent but will equally own and operate the new ACO (Baires, Contra Costa Times, 7/29). Representatives from the companies said they expect to finalize a deal for the ACO by the end of this year (San Francisco Business Times, 7/29).
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