California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of October 23, 2015

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has partnered with Techstars to develop a health technology accelerator program, MedCity News reports.

For the three-month program, Techstars Co-Founder and Managing Partner David Brown said they are looking for "companies with pioneering ideas that improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health and health care delivery" (Baum, MedCity News, 10/21).

Marin General Hospital

The Marin Healthcare District board has agreed to provide Marin General Hospital with at least $400,000 to improve its mental health services, the Marin Independent Journal reports.

According to a report provided to the board, "The hospital has faced continuous challenges recruiting and retaining high-quality psychiatrists due to a severely antiquated model that lacks financial and practice stability for physicians."

The funding will be used to help the hospital implement a two-year program to hire the equivalent of six full-time psychiatrists to work in the facility's inpatient unit (Halstead, Marin Independent Journal, 10/14).

Mission Hospital Laguna Beach

A group of students has pledged to raised $25,000 to bolster Mission Hospital Laguna Beach's behavioral health programs, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Student Auxiliary of Mission Hospital, which previously raised $25,000 for a new neuroscience and spine institute at the facility's sister hospital, includes more than 100 volunteers who work at the hospital in various capacities. Mission Hospital Foundation's Chief Development Officer Cathleen Collins in a statement said, "This new pledge is reflective of [the group's] incredible history of giving" (Alderton, Los Angeles Times, 10/15).

Sharp Grossmont Hospital, San Diego

Sharp Grossmont Hospital has acquired a new radiation system to improve its cancer care, the San Diego Business Journal reports.

The hospital is now one of just two hospitals to offer the Elekta VersaHD linear accelerator technology in the San Diego area (Meiling, San Diego Business Journal, 10/20).

Sutter Health

Sutter Health has launched a new Spanish-language website, the Calaveras Enterprise reports.

The health system said it developed the website because it serves "one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse populations in the U.S." Sutter said it will consider adding translations for other languages in the future (Calaveras Enterprise, 10/15).

Meanwhile, Sutter Health also is among four finalists bidding to run Petaluma Valley Hospital, the Sacramento Business Journal.

The current lease -- held by St. Joseph Health, which wants to maintain it -- expires in January 2017. Other finalists include Prime Healthcare Services and Strategic Global Management (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 10/21).