California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of September 26, 2014
Alameda Health System
On Monday, Alameda Health System asked local government officials to extend the repayment schedule of a $198.7 million debt that the health system owes to the county by as long as 20 years, Inside Bay Area's "My Town" reports.
According to "My Town," the amount of the loan was supposed to be reduced to $110 million by June and to $30 million by June 2018. Alameda Health System officials said they needed the delay to address the costs related to a malfunctioning electronic health record system and other concerns (O'Brien, "My Town," Inside Bay Area, 9/24).
California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco
Last week, 742 unionized health care workers at the California Pacific Medical Center voted to authorize a one-day strike over claims of unfair labor practices, according to the National Union of Healthcare Workers, the San Francisco Examiner reports.
The union alleges that the hospital has proposed eliminating 28 beds at the facility, which could affect jobs and double employees' out-of-pocket health insurance costs (Lamb, San Francisco Examiner, 9/25).
Doctor's Medical Center, San Pablo
On Wednesday, a stakeholder group representing Contra Costa County, Doctors Medical Center's senior officials and other interested parties recommended that DMC convert to an urgent care clinic or a satellite emergency department to avoid closure, the San Francisco Business Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.
The stakeholders said that DMC does not have the funding needed to operate as a full-service hospital and that the urgent care clinic option would be more financially viable. The group said it would make its final recommendation to the West County Healthcare District this fall, but it added that any proposed solution would require a "multiparty financial solution" from county and district officials, nearby hospitals and other stakeholders (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 9/24).
John Muir Health, Bay Area
Last week, John Muir Health announced it is making a $10,000 donation to Doctors Without Borders and a $25,000 donation to MedShare to help combat a growing Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the San Francisco Business Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.
According to a memo, the donations are intended to help the organizations' health care response to the outbreak, including in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 9/18).
St. Joseph Hoag Health, Newport Beach
Last week, St. Joseph Hoag Health in partnership with Irvine Co., a real estate developer, opened a primary care clinic in one of the Irvine's shopping center and apartment complexes, Irvine Spectrum Center, Payers & Providers reports.
According to Payers & Providers, St. Joseph Hoag Health has entered into an agreement with Irvine to open primary care clinics in several of the developer's apartment buildings. The clinics will offer lab services, physical exams and treatment for minor illnesses (Payers & Providers, 9/18).
Sutter Auburn Surgery Center
Last week, Sutter Health completed a $230,000 renovation to the Sutter Auburn Surgery Center, the Sacramento Business Journal reports. According to the Business Journal, the remodel includes an updated entry, lobby and waiting area that offer patients more private and improved business services (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 9/18).
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