California Healthline Highlights Recent Hospital News
The adult day health care program at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center at the end of the year will be transferred to Alzheimer's Services of the East Bay, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Alta Bates' program serves about 120 seniors, primarily patients with dementia. The hospital last month announced that it was closing its adult day health care program and other programs to reduce costs (Vesely, Oakland Tribune, 12/21).
Paradise Valley Hospital last week announced that it will terminate the contracts of all of its HMOs, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The HMOs, of which there are about 30, accounted for about 8% of the hospital's patient volume.
The cancellations will be effective within the next five months, depending on each contract.
Prime Healthcare, a for-profit company, plans to purchase the 301-bed hospital from not-for-profit Adventist Healthcare. Prime Healthcare owner Dr. Prem Reddy notified Adventist that he will not take over any HMO contracts as part of the deal. Reddy might renegotiate contracts with some of the HMOs after the Paradise Valley acquisition closes (Darcé, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/16).
Construction has begun on a new five-story tower that will add about 100 patient beds and a new five-story outpatient center at Pomerado Hospital, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Andy Hoang, a spokesperson for Palomar Pomerado Health district, said the outpatient center will offer more treatment options, including more outpatient exams that look inside the body, X-rays and infusion treatments.
The facility also will provide an outpatient surgery center, women's center and urgent care clinic designed to reduce emergency department volume. The center will open in October 2007, according to Michael Shanahan, the health district's chief architect (Lou, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/16).
The ED at Redlands Community Hospital is increasing its patient beds from 13 to 21 and revising its triage system in an effort to alleviate insufficient bed space, the San Bernardino County Sun reports.
The revised ED will allow physicians and nurses to "fast-track" triaging patients to ensure available bed space for patients requiring immediate care, while the 60% of patients with less urgent needs can safely wait in the lobby and not occupy a bed, according to the Sun.
Diane Johnson, a registered nurse and director of critical care, said the goal of the new system is for a patient to see a nurse within 15 to 30 seconds of entering the ED and a physician within 15 to 30 minutes (Cobb, San Bernardino County Sun, 12/19).