California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of March 29, 2013
Corcoran District Hospital, Corcoran
Last week, Corcoran District Hospital announced that it has closed its 32-bed emergency department, the Fresno Bee reports.
Jonathan Brenn -- CEO of the hospital -- said that officials closed the ED because of decreased revenue resulting from fewer Corcoran State Prison inmates being sent to the hospital for surgery.
The ED closure resulted in 25 layoffs.
Brenn said that the hospital likely will seek state approval to open an urgent care clinic in the former ED (Griswold, Fresno Bee, 3/25).
Mercy General Hospital, Sacramento
Last week, Mercy General Hospital unveiled an apartment complex that it constructed as part of a hospital expansion project, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Barb Schor -- a hospital spokesperson -- said that to make way for a new cardiac center -- called the Alex G. Spanos Heart and Vascular Center -- the hospital "had to take down some housing that we owned along H Street," adding, "We agreed to replace it with the apartment complex."
Property Management will manage the units at an on-site office (Locke, Sacramento Bee, 3/22).
St. Vincent Medical Center, Los Angeles
On Monday, officials at St. Vincent Medical Center announced that the facility has opened a 30-bed unit for Korean-American patients.
The unit is staffed by Korean-American nurses who speak fluent Korean. In addition, the unit features Korean cuisine, TV channels and signage throughout the facility.
According to hospital officials, the number of Korean-American patients seeking care at St. Vincent has grown significantly over the last 10 years (St. Vincent Medical Center release, 3/25).
Washington Hospital, Fremont
Observers are criticizing a policy at Washington Hospital's new $42.7 million Center for Joint Replacement that permits orthopedic surgeons to practice only if they meet 24 criteria set by the hospital, the Fremont Argus/Contra Costa Times reports.
Currently, only two orthopedic surgeons are permitted to work in the center, one of whom helped develop the criteria.
Surgeons and patients say the rules have created a "two-tier" system of care that favors wealthier patients and select physicians (McGlone, Fremont Argus/Contra Costa Times, 3/25). 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.