California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 27, 2013
Daughters of Charity Health System
On Sept. 18, the Daughters of Charity Health System announced that it will remain independent from the St. Louis-based Ascension Health Alliance despite long-running merger discussions between the two health systems, the San Francisco Business Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.
In an email to the San Francisco Business Times, DCHS said "it should not be assumed that DCHS will become a Member of the Ascension Health Alliance Obligated Groups" at this current time (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 9/19).
El Centro Regional Medical Center
El Centro Regional Medical Center CEO David Green in a recent letter to community members said that the 165-bed hospital has narrowed its list of potential affiliation partners, but he did not disclose them, Becker's Hospital Review reports.
In the letter, Green said an affiliate would be selected based on its ability to recruit area physicians, foster specialties, provide capital, help in the supply chain and share best practices to improve quality, among other factors (Herman, Becker's Hospital Review, 9/19).
John Muir Health
Last week, the California Nurses Association reached a tentative agreement with John Muir Health's Concord campus that would provide the hospital's 700 nurses with existing health benefits and a 7% pay increase over the course of three years, the San Francisco Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.
On Oct. 1, union members will vote on whether to ratify the deal (Rauber [1], "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Times, 9/20).
In related news, John Muir Health has asked an additional 212 staffers to accept voluntary severance packages as the health care system tries to cut $52 million in labor-related costs through 2014, the San Francisco Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.
The announcement comes a week after the system laid off 540 laboratory employees (Rauber [2], "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Times, 9/20).
Riverside County Regional Medical Center
On Monday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously awarded Huron Healthcare a $951,500 extension to its contract to help Riverside County Regional Medical Center implement a strategy to integrate the Affordable Care Act, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. The extension bridges the gap between Huron's original contract -- under which they developed a health care reform integration strategy -- and a new deal under which the company would help the hospital implement the recommended changes. (Horseman, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 9/23).
In its original report, Huron Healthcare determined that the hospital could boost revenue and reduce costs by between $45 million and $66 million by streamlining its billing process, updating its energy plan and improving its ordering processes, among other improvements (Horseman, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 9/20).
Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center
On Sept. 14, Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center participated in Celebrating Community Surgery Day by providing a total of 13 free surgeries and seven colonoscopies to uninsured patients who could not otherwise afford the procedures, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. Kaiser Permanente worked with Borrego Community Health Foundation, Social Action Community Health Systems and Lestonnac Free Clinic to identify patients in need of surgery.
Volunteers included six surgeons and a team of health care professionals, including anesthesiologists, nurses, technicians and support staff (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 9/20).
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