California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 24, 2010
California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco
On Thursday, San Francisco residents provided feedback on plans for a 555-bed hospital to be built on a site of the Cathedral Hill Hotel, the San Francisco Chronicle's "City Insider" reports. The environmental impact report for the construction project also went before the city's Planning Commission on Thursday.
The new hospital is part of a planned $2.5 billion renovation of the four hospitals that make up California Pacific Medical Center (Wildermuth, "City Insider," San Francisco Chronicle, 9/22).
City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte
On Tuesday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mary Strobel directed City of Hope Medical Center and its affiliated physicians' group -- City of Hope Medical Group -- to begin settlement talks next week, the Los Angeles Times reports.
On October 13, a court will hold a hearing on the medical group's petition for an injunction against the hospital. The hospital and the physicians' group have sparred frequently during the last year after the medical center announced plans to create a not-for-profit foundation to oversee its business matters (McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 9/22).
Eden Township Healthcare District, Castro Valley
Last week, the board of The Eden Township Healthcare District voted 4-0 to reject a proposal to offer health and dental benefits to members of the hospital district's board of directors, the Oakland Tribune reports.
The plan initially was proposed as a strategy for attracting quality candidates to the board, but ultimately was voted down because of its expected costs (Sweeney, Oakland Tribune, 9/17).
El Camino Hospital, Mountain View
Over the next several weeks, El Camino Hospital administrators and labor union leaders are expected to continue negotiations over the hospital's plan to lay off more than 140 employees, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Officials from the Service Employees International Union contend that the layoffs are unnecessary because the hospital has been profitable and revenue is expected to rise this year. El Camino officials say the layoffs are part of a three-year plan to cut $60 million in annual expenses (Scheck, Wall Street Journal, 9/23).
El Centro Regional Medical Center
Officials at El Centro Regional Medical Center say the facility has agreed to pay $2.2 million, plus interest, to resolve Department of Justice allegations that the hospital improperly billed Medicare for higher payments related to patient admissions, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Hospital CEO David Green said the allegations stem from confusion over rules on reimbursements for inpatient and outpatient visits (Lavelle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9/20).
San Jose Medical Center
On Monday, Santa Clara County officials revealed plans for a new 60,000 square-foot medical center that will be built near the location of the old San Jose Medical Center, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Hospital Corporation of America closed San Jose Medical Center in 2004 because of rising costs. The facility currently is being demolished. The new facility is expected to open in five years as a three-story center for primary and urgent care (Seipel, San Jose Mercury News, 9/20).
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