ALAMEDA COUNTY: Hospital Authority To Take Health Care Reins
Alameda County's newly formed Medical Center Hospital Authority will soon take control of the county's medical system. The Alameda Times-Star reports that the county Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to hand over control of the $215 million system -- which includes three hospitals and five clinics -- effective July 1. Keith Carson, president of the county board, said the medical system "must be run by a board with expertise in the health care industry" if it is "to survive in today's competitive market." Supervisor Wilma Chan "noted that one of the first things she would like the new board to review is the waiting times for medical appointments at the specialty clinics" and to compare them with industry standards. The Times-Star reports that the county passed a law in 1996 allowing the board to transfer its authority to another governing body (6/24). Click here for past California Healthline coverage of the Alameda system change.
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