California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of August 27, 2010
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton
On Wednesday, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center opened a new three-story, 68,000 square-foot office building that will house 300 physicians, administrators and other employees, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. The $21 million project was financed primarily through San Bernardino County's share of tobacco company settlement funds (Ghori, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 8/26).
The new building features expanded dialysis and cardiac rehabilitation centers, as well as office space and conference rooms (Steinberg, San Bernardino County Sun, 8/25).
Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage
Eisenhower Medical Center recently announced that it has raised $110 million by issuing tax-exempt bonds to fund a variety of programs and refinance short-term debt, the Palm Springs Desert Sun reports.
Alvin Shoemaker, chair of Eisenhower's board of directors, said demand for the tax-exempt bonds was six times greater than supply.
Kimberly Osborne, Eisenhower's chief financial officer, said the medical center will use the bond funds to help it scale up programs and facilities for primary care. Eisenhower also will use the funds to develop graduate-level medical education programs in internal medicine and primary care (Perrault, Palm Springs Desert Sun, 8/17).
Hoag Hospital Irvine
On Sept. 1, Hoag Hospital Irvine will reopen as a 154-bed acute care general hospital with a fully staffed emergency department, the Orange County Register reports.
Hoag replaces Irvine Regional Hospital, which closed in January 2009. At that time, Hoag officials promised that renovations for the new hospital would be completed no later than 2011 (Chavez, Orange County Register, 8/20).
La Clinica de la Raza, Concord
In October, construction is expected to begin on a new Concord-based site for La Clinica de la Raza because its Pleasant Hill-based location is not large enough to accommodate the clinic's patient load, the Contra Costa Times reports.
La Clinica's Regional Director Viola Lujan said about 200 new families arrive monthly at the existing site for the clinic, which provides care for uninsured and low-income residents.
The new 16,000 square-foot facility will have medical and dental offices (Thissen, Contra Costa Times, 8/20).
Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica
On Wednesday, Saint John's Health Center agreed to pay the federal government $5.25 million by Aug. 30 to settle allegations that the hospital submitted inflated Medicare claims, the AP/Ventura County Star reports.
Federal prosecutors allege that from 1996 through 2003, Saint John's Health Center dramatically increased Medicare charges for inpatient treatment to levels beyond the actual cost of care.
The hospital agreed to pay the federal government without admitting wrongdoing (AP/Ventura County Star, 8/25).
Sutter Medical Centers, Sacramento
Sutter Health has notified 30 employees at five Sacramento medical centers that their current positions are being terminated on Oct. 15, the Sacramento Business Journal reports. Officials also informed four other employees that their hours would be reduced.
The positions slated for elimination will include secretarial and human resources positions, but not jobs in bedside care or nursing. Officials said it is likely that the facilities will be able to retain the employees in different positions (Anderson, Sacramento Business Journal, 8/20).
The Sutter facilities that will be affected by the cuts are:
- Sutter Center for Psychiatry;
- Sutter General Hospital;
- Sutter Memorial Hospital;
- Sutter Oaks Midtown; and
- Sutter SeniorCare (Calvan, Sacramento Bee, 8/21).