California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of December 5, 2008
Anaheim General Hospital
Last month, the Joint Commission denied Anaheim General Hospital's quality accreditation, the Orange County Register reports.
In explaining the decision, the Joint Commission cited a threat to patient care when inspectors visited the hospital in March (Perkes, Orange County Register, 11/26).
Marshall Medical Center, Placerville
Last week, the Placerville City Council authorized plans for the expansion of Marshall Medical Center's acute care wing, the Sacramento Bee reports.
A cafeteria, birthing rooms, emergency department and women's center will be a part of the new wing
The expansion is expected to cost an estimated $100 million, according to James Whipple, the hospital's administrator (Locke, Sacramento Bee, 11/29).
South Coast Medical Center
South Coast Medical Center Foundation board members and major donors are concerned that foundation funds not earmarked for a specific purpose will go toward South Coast Medical Center's debts, the Register reports.
Adventist Health, which operates the hospital, has dissolved the foundation.
The foundation has $15 million in assets, including the hospital's $9.7 million Medical Office Building (Hart, Orange County Register, 11/25).
Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego
On Dec. 1, Sharp Healthcare announced a $10 million donation from the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation to help build a new patient tower at Sharp Memorial Hospital, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
So far, the company has received $40 million in donations for the tower, according to Bill Littlejohn, CEO of Sharp Healthcare Foundation (Darcé, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/2).
St. Joseph's Medical Center, Stockton
St. Joseph's Foundation has pledged to raise $20 million toward the construction of the St. Joseph's Medical Center Patient Pavilion, the Stockton Record reports.
The foundation said it already has secured $10 million in private donations (Stockton Record, 11/25).
Sutter Health
Sutter Health plans to present a revised plan for a 70-bed hospital to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors after dropping plans for a 124-bed facility, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.
The scaled-down hospital is projected to cost $176 million, down from $257 million for the larger facility (Rose, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 11/21).
Tri-City Medical Center, Oceanside
Tri-City Medical Center plans to add a six-bed fast-track area to its emergency department with the aim of reducing overcrowding and improving patient satisfaction, the Union-Tribune reports.
The project is expected to cost about $137,500 (Sherman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/27).
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.