California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of January 9, 2009
Children's Hospital Oakland
This week, Children's Hospital Oakland opened a 7,800 square-foot specialty care center in Walnut Creek that contains 15 exam rooms and physician offices, the Contra Costa Times reports.
The center will host a grand opening celebration on Saturday.
This summer, the hospital plans to expand the center by 16,900 square feet to include two operating rooms for same-day surgeries, as well as diagnostic imaging equipment that includes digital X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and radiofluoroscopy (Kleffman, Contra Costa Times, 1/7).
Lodi Memorial Hospital
On Jan. 1, Lodi Memorial Hospital began accepting Anthem Blue Cross insurance, ending a period of 18 months during which it did not accept the plan, the Stockton Record reports.
About 41,800 area residents were affected when the hospital's earlier contract with the health insurer, formerly known as Blue Cross of California, expired in April 2007 (Stockton Record, 12/27/08).
Loma Linda University Heart and Surgical Hospital
On Tuesday, the Loma Linda University Heart and Surgical Hospital had its official opening, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
The 28-bed specialty hospital aims to attract patients who are undergoing nonemergency heart, vascular, gynecological, and ear, nose, neck and throat procedures.
At the ceremony, hospital administrator Jesse Mock announced that the hospital planned to host its first two surgeries on Wednesday (Santschi, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 1/6).
Natividad Medical Center, Salinas
Natividad Medical Center's board has agreed on a top candidate for CEO and is reviewing a recommendation to boost the salary for the position, the Monterey County Herald reports.
Monterey County Supervisor Dave Potter, who serves as chair of Natividad's board, said supervisors and hospital trustees have decided on a candidate from a pool of seven vying for the position.Â
Supervisors declined to identify the candidate.
If supervisors proceed with negotiations, a CEO could be announced by the end of January (Johnson, Monterey County Herald, 1/7).
St. Joseph Health System, Orange
The sale of South Coast Medical Center to St. Joseph Health System has not yet been finalized, the Orange County Register reports.
Two months ago, the health system was named the medical center's preferred buyer.
According to Adventist Health spokesperson Alicia Gonzalez, Adventist Health and St. Joseph Health System are still working out the terms of the sale. Once submitted to the attorney general's office, the sale will be subject to a review process that typically lasts about 60 days, before final approval can be granted (Hart, Orange County Register, 1/5).
Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego
Next week, Sharp HealthCare will open a $195 million, 334-bed acute-care tower at Sharp Memorial Hospital in the San Diego community of Kearny Mesa, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The tower contains the latest medical technology and also is equipped with various amenities intended to create a comforting and aesthetically pleasing environment (Darcé, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/8).
Tri-City Healthcare District, San Diego County
Three trustees of the Tri-City Healthcare District are asking that the board cancel leadership changes and contracts approved in a Dec. 18, 2008, closed-session meeting, the Union-Tribune reports.
At the Dec. 18 meeting, the board decided to launch an investigation into district finances and remove eight top administrators.
In a Dec. 30, 2008, letter, trustees Ronald Mitchell, Larry Schallock and Madeline Rodriguez alleged that they could not attend the meeting because it was called with 24 hours' notice and that the board violated the state's open-meeting law, which requires that government boards disclose issues to be discussed at upcoming meetings.
The letter insists that the board "cure or correct" the violations, which could require canceling the decisions made at the meeting or holding another meeting (Mannes/Sherman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/31/08).
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