California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of December 12, 2008
Barstow Community Hospital
Barstow Community Hospital officials say they want to open the new facility by 2012, the Barstow Desert-Dispatch reports.
The new hospital includes plans for 58 beds, an eight-room intensive care unit and a 20-bed emergency department (Lee, Barstow Desert-Dispatch, 12/8).
Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has indicated that he will explore all options for reopening Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Los Angeles County supervisors have focused on the University of California taking over operation of the facility, but an agreement has not been reached.
King-Harbor ended inpatient services in August 2007 after failing to meet federal standards for patient care (Therolf, Los Angeles Times, 12/6).
Natividad Medical Center, Salinas
Last week, the Natividad Medical Center Board of Trustees approved a modified plan to merge Natividad Medical Center with the Monterey County Health Department, the Monterey County Herald reports.
The trustees said the amended plan would integrate the county's health care services more effectively and help prepare for future challenges.
County health department officials oppose the plan, arguing that it could compromise operations at public health clinics (Johnson, Monterey County Herald, 12/6).
Parkview Memorial Hospital, Riverside
Members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals were expected to rally in a park on Thursday to draw attention to ongoing contract negotiations with Parkview Memorial Hospital, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Eve Rojas, the union's press secretary, said negotiations deteriorated after hospital administrators unilaterally cut salaries 5%.Â
The union has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board over the move (Katzanek, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 12/9).
Sharp Cabrillo Skilled Nursing Center, Point Loma
Sharp HealthCare officials have said they will close Sharp Cabrillo Skilled Nursing Center by April 3, 2009, because of increased leasing and operating costs, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The facility provides temporary care for patients not ready to return home after being discharged from the hospital.
Sharp spokesperson John Cihomsky said the center lost about $7 million in operations and building maintenance costs in each of the past two years (Darcé, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/4). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.