California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of April 29, 2011

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton

Officials at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center are hoping that a recent $400,000 investment in safety equipment could accelerate patient recovery and curb staff injuries, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.

The hospital has mounted electric lifts to the ceiling in 20 units to assist patients in intensive care or those who have experienced strokes. Hospital staff can use the equipment to turn patients or help them get out of bed. About 30 Arrowhead employees are injured each year while moving patients, according to officials (Hines, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 4/22).

Children's Hospital Oakland

The California Nurses Association-National Nurses United recently announced plans to hold a five-day strike at Children's Hospital Oakland starting next Thursday, the Contra Costa Times reports.

The union, which represents 750 registered nurses at the hospital, has been in contract negotiations for nearly one year. The nurses' previous contract expired in July 2010. According to hospital spokesperson Erin Goldsmith, Children's Hospital Oakland plans to bring in at least 125 temporary nurses, postpone elective surgeries and scale back some critical care units during the strike (Kleffman, Contra Costa Times, 4/27).

Enloe Medical Center, Chico

Enloe Medical Center's Cancer Connections program has received a $25,000 donation from Tri Counties Bank, the Chico Enterprise-Record reports.

The Cancer Connections program aims to help patients understand and manage the effects of cancer. Tri Counties' donation also will help Enloe Medical Center support its new affiliation with UC-San Francisco. Under the affiliation, Enloe health care providers can access information on UCSF's clinical trials and joint tumor boards can discuss challenging cases (Chico Enterprise-Record, 4/23).

Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center

Last week, Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center submitted its formal application to the Solano County Emergency Medical Services Agency for designation as a level III trauma center, the Vacaville Reporter reports.

Kaiser follows in the footsteps of NorthBay Medical Center, which submitted its application for a level III trauma designation last month. Solano County's Health and Social Services Department will decide whether to grant the designation to the medical centers (Murphy, Vacaville Reporter, 4/26). Both Kaiser and NorthBay have expressed interest in eventually upgrading to a level II trauma center (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 4/26).

Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas

An anonymous Rancho Santa Fe family has donated $5 million to Scripps Memorial Hospital to help fund the medical center's $200 million expansion, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The hospital expects to finance the expansion primarily through bonds, hospital revenue and donations. The project would increase the size of the hospital from 265,800 square feet to 333,380 square feet. The expansion will feature a 60,000 square-foot critical care building with a 27-bed emergency department and 37 private patient rooms (LaVelle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4/22).

UC-San Diego Medical Center and UCSD Thornton Hospital

The state Department of Public Health has called for changes in the emergency departments at UC-San Diego's two hospitals following incidents at each facility, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The incidents involved a patient who committed suicide at UCSD Thornton Hospital and a patient who suffered cardiac arrest after being removed from UCSD Medical Center. Last week, UCSD submitted a correction plan to DPH. Federal and state officials will review the plan and decide whether to accept it. The investigation has delayed the opening of the UCSD's $227 million Sulpizio Family Cardiovascular Center, which is located next to Thornton Hospital in La Jolla (Lavelle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4/22).