California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of November 13, 2015
California Pacific Medical Center
Hospital officials say California Pacific Medical Center's new campus is "on track" to open in 2019, the San Francisco Business Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.
The $2.1 billion facility will include 274 beds. CPMC CEO Warren Browner said, "[W]e've got the keys, and we're moving in in 2019" (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 11/9).
Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican, Santa Cruz
Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican health care workers have voted to join Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reports.
The decision will affect 120 workers, including medical assistants, receptionists, registered nurses, physical therapists and social workers (Gumz, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/10).
Mendocino Coast District Hospital
Local residents are concerned that Mendocino Coast District Hospital -- the only facility in the area -- could shut down, KQED's "State of Health" reports.
The hospital has faced financial struggles over the last few years, in part because of lower Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Meanwhile hospital administrators are at odds over how to return the hospital to financial stability, with some saying the hospital needs to increase revenue and others calling for lower expenditures (Dembosky, "State of Health," KQED, 11/6).
Prime Healthcare Services
Saint Michael's Medical Center in New Jersey has accepted Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Services' acquisition bid, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Prime, which announced its intension to buy the hospital three years ago, will purchase the facility for $62 million. Prime also committed to spending $50 million in capital improvements over five years (Livio, Newark Star-Ledger, 11/10).
Sonoma Valley Hospital
EmployerDirect, a health care services provider for companies with self-funded medical plans, has contracted with Sonoma Valley Hospital, according to a release.
Under the agreement, Sonoma Valley Hospital will provide elective surgeries for companies in Northern California, northern Nevada and southern Oregon (EmployerDirect release, 10/28).
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