Hospital News Roundup for September 21
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously accepted a draft report criticizing a proposed ballot tax measure that would help expand Children's Hospital Oakland, the McClatchy/Contra Costa Times reports.
The board of supervisors said hospital officials have shown a lack of respect and willingness to work with the county.
If approved by two-thirds of county voters, the proposed parcel tax would raise $300 million over 30 years to help pay for the proposed $700 million expansion of Children's Hospital.
The tax would amount to $24 annually for residential property, $100 for medium-sized commercial property and $250 for large commercial property. Low-income families and residents over age 65 would be exempt from the tax. Hospital officials hope to put the measure on the February ballot, the McClatchy/Times reports.
The draft report said the county would be reimbursed only 1% of the annual tax receipt for administrative costs, which is less than 1.7% of the other special taxes. The report also noted that the measure might violate state law by expending public money for hospitals not under exclusive control of the state. The county would have to subsidize the tax with $19 million from its general fund (Metinko, McClatchy/Contra Costa Times, 9/19).
The San Carlos Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's proposal for a new medical complex, the Oakland Tribune reports.
The project cannot begin until it wins approval from the City Council, which is expected to make a decision at its Oct. 8 meeting.
The proposed medical facility includes a hospital with 97 beds (Abramson, Oakland Tribune, 9/20).
Tenet Healthcare will lay off union workers at several hospitals in California, according to union officials, the Business Press reports.
The lay-offs include 10 workers at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, Barbara Lewis, administrative vice president of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, said.
The lay-offs also are occurring at:
- Garden Grove Hospital;
- Lakewood Regional Medical Center;
- San Ramon Regional Medical Center;
- Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton; and
- USC University Hospital.
The lay-offs will affect certified nursing assistants, surgical technicians, emergency medical technicians, pharmacists and radiology technicians (Tucker, Business Press, 9/17). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.