California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of June 20, 2008
Last week, Kaweah Delta Medical Center announced that it will cut 145 full-time positions to help cope with expected state Medi-Cal cuts, the Fresno Bee reports. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
Only 51 employees will actually lose jobs. The remaining positions already are vacant because of a hiring freeze.
Between 22% and 24% of the medical center's patients are Medi-Cal beneficiaries (Correa, Fresno Bee, 6/12).
On Tuesday, Mercy Regional Cancer Care Center formed a partnership with 21st Century Oncology to enhance its services, the Redding Record Searchlight reports.
The partnership also will help Mercy consolidate its radiation therapy services in Redding and upgrade radiation therapy services in Mount Shasta.
The deal still must be ratified by the boards of Catholic Healthcare West, Mercy's parent company, and 21st Century Oncology (Benda, Redding Record Searchlight, 6/18).
On Wednesday, union members at Menifee Valley Medical Center protested alterations to an existing labor agreement sought by Valley Health System, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Most Menifee workers want the district to sell the facility, according to David Bullock, the union's chief negotiator.
The district is proposing to shift the premium cost for family health coverage to employees and cut one 12-hour shift per month for registered nurses (Wesson, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 6/18).