California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of August 15, 2014
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center has opened a new $350 million inpatient tower, the San Francisco Business Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.
The 250,000-square-foot building includes 238 private patient rooms and an acute rehabilitation department with a gym and other specialized equipment (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 8/7).
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, Los Angeles
On Tuesday, Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute announced the opening of its Regenerative Medicine Clinic, which will help to evaluate heart and vascular disease patients for participation in clinical studies using stem cells, according to a CSHI release.
According to the release, the clinic will be led by CSHI Director Eduardo Marbán and Timothy Henry, director of CSHI's cardiology unit (CSHI release, 8/12).
Delta Pathology Associates Medical Group, Lodi Memorial Hospital
A former chief of staff at Lodi Memorial Hospital was arrested last week after a 13-month investigation into the alleged theft of more than $500,000 from a former employer, the Stockton Record reports.
Prosecutor Stephen Taylor said pathologist Elvira Milano has been charged with damaging, destroying or taking property worth more than $150,000 and theft of more than $100,000, among other charges. Taylor said the crimes were committed against Milano's former employer, Delta Pathology Associates Medical Group in Stockton (Phillips, Stockton Record, 8/8).
Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo
On Tuesday, a group of stakeholders filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the potential closure or downsizing of Doctors Medical Center, which has experienced severe financial problems in recent years, the Contra Costa Times reports. The filing states that closing the hospital or reducing its services would violate the 14th Amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 because such a move would disproportionately affect elderly residents, individuals with disabilities and minorities (Rogers, Contra Costa Times, 8/13).
U.S. District Judge William Orrick refused to issue a temporary restraining order that would have forced DMC to resume offering emergency ambulance services (Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 8/12). However, he said the complaint is urgent and deserves a full hearing in court (Contra Costa Times, 8/13).
San Francisco General Hospital
The family of a San Francisco General Hospital patient who was found dead in one of the hospital's stairwells has filed a legal claim against the facility, which can be used as a precursor to a lawsuit, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Coté, San Francisco Chronicle, 8/8).
The patient was admitted to the hospital in September 2013 with a bladder infection and was found to be missing from her hospital a few days later. She was found about two weeks later in a stairwell used as a fire escape (California Healthline, 1/3).
According to the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, the family is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $25,000 for allegations of medical malpractice, violation of a state law regarding elder abuse and adult dependency, security staff negligence and maintenance of dangerous conditions on the property (San Francisco Chronicle, 8/8).
UC-Davis School of Medical
Julie Freischlag, dean of the UC-Davis School of Medicine and vice chancellor for human health sciences at the university, has opened a specialty surgery and research clinic to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.
According to the Business Journal, thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when blood vessels or nerves are compressed, which can result in blood clots, pain and reduced mobility. Freischlag specializes in performing a rare surgical procedure to correct the issue.
The clinic team likely will treat two to six patients each week and will be linked to UC-Davis experts and the university's telehealth system for patient evaluations and customized treatment (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 8/12).
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