Hospital News Roundup for February 9

Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo

Contra Costa County supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a joint powers agreement that will create a board to oversee the bankrupt hospital, the Contra Costa Times reports.

The agreement will create the Doctors Medical Center Management Authority, in which the county will have majority control. Along with the board, the agreement gives the hospital a $20 million cash infusion to maintain operations for the immediate future (Huff, Contra Costa Times, 2/7).

John Muir Medical Center, Concord

John Muir Medical Center has approved construction of a six-story tower that will house a cardiovascular institute and an emergency department that is double the current size, the Contra Costa Times reports.

CEO Thomas Harlan said the project will cost about $170 million. The tower's cardiovascular center will include four cardiac catheterization labs, 12 cardiac intensive care unit beds and 49 telemetry beds (Rose, Contra Costa Times, 2/3).

Mercy General Hospital, Sacramento

Mercy General Hospital on Thursday filed a proposal with Sacramento officials to build a heart surgery center, among other projects, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Cindy Holst -- director of business development for Catholic Healthcare West, which owns the hospital -- said the four-story heart center could open by 2012 (Montano, Sacramento Bee, 2/8).

Paradise Valley Hospital, National City

An investor group that seeks to block the sale of Paradise Valley Hospital in National City to for-profit Prime Healthcare Services has increased by $10 million its previous offer to buy the hospital, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The group now is offering $40 million for the facility.

Adventist Health, the hospital's owner, rejected the previous offer from Paradise Preservation Group because it lacked financial support. Officials are currently reviewing the new offer.

Paul Hensler of Prime Healthcare said the company will not alter its bid of $30 million for the hospital.

Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) by Feb. 19 will decide whether to allow, block or impose conditions on the sale of the hospital to Prime Healthcare (Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2/9).

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