California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of October 7, 2011

Eden Medical Center, Castro Valley

Eden Medical Center officials recently said the hospital is considering layoffs that could affect up to 5% of staff members, the San Francisco Business Times reports. The hospital, which has about 1,200 full-time employees, is considering the layoffs because of declining patient volume.

Cindy Dove, a spokesperson for Eden, said the hospital hopes to make a final decision by the end of this month on how many positions to cut. Prior to making a decision, hospital officials plan to meet with affected labor unions (Rauber, San Francisco Business Times, 10/3).

Mercy Medical Center, Redding

Mercy Medical Center recently opened a medical laboratory -- called the Mercy Lab Draw Station -- in a shopping center in Redding, the Redding Record Searchlight reports.

Teri Wolf -- the hospital's phlebotomy and outreach supervisor -- said the hospital is considering opening its next medical lab location in Palo Cedro (Redding Record Searchlight, 10/5).

San Francisco General Hospital

San Francisco General Hospital has become the first hospital in the U.S. to receive certification for treating traumatic brain injury, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The hospital received the certification from the Joint Commission, a national organization that accredits hospitals.

Geoff Manley, chief of surgery at San Francisco General, said the recognition was based on imaging technology, medical skills, neurological monitoring and research at the hospital. The certification is expected to set the standard for hospitals across the U.S., according to the Chronicle (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/4).