Los Robles Hospital May Get Dinged Over Rate Of Patient Infections, Injuries
Los Robles stands to lose 1 percent of payments made by Medicare for inpatient treatment over the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30.
Ventura County Star:
Los Robles Hospital Faces Medicare Penalties For Post-Admission Injuries
Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center faces penalties in the form of reduced government Medicare payments because of its rate of infections and other injuries that happened after patients were admitted. The Thousand Oaks facility is the only the site in Ventura County facing financial penalties for the current fiscal year in a program that targets hospitals ranked in the nation’s lowest 25 percent in a complex calculation for so-called hospital-acquired conditions. (Kisken, 12/27)
In other news from across the state —
Ventura County Star:
Care Center Gives Homeless People A Chance To Heal
The recuperative care program opened in July at Ventura’s downtown Salvation Army, born of hospital struggles in finding a place to send patients who no longer need acute care but have no home to go to complete their recovery. It meant patients staying in hospitals for weeks, sometimes months. It triggered accusations of homeless patients being sent to shelters not equipped to meet their medical needs. (Kisken, 12/22)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County Officials Back Proposal For Second Methadone Clinic In Modesto
Aegis Inc. is considering locations for a second methadone clinic in Modesto to relieve pressure on its McHenry Avenue office amid the opioid epidemic. The state also has awarded a “hub-and-spoke” grant for Aegis that could extend its services to Oakdale and Patterson. (Carlson, 12/29)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Santa Rosa Medical Provider Turns To Converted Shipping Containers For Exam Rooms
From inside, the “cans” are equipped like any other medical exam room, with medical office cabinets, medical supplies, an exam table with a blue cushion, a red biohazard container, a sink, a weight scale and a computer station for medical providers. The rooms are slightly on the narrow side, but they are fully heated and can be powered by solar energy. The pre-equipped clinics were brought two weeks ago from Wichita, Kansas, headquarters of Clinic in a Can, a business that outfits the shipping containers for use in parts of the world affected by natural disasters or international crises. Located in a parking lot next to Santa Rosa Community Health’s dental clinic on North Dutton Avenue, the new medical rooms were purchased with grants from the California Endowment and the North Bay Fire Relief. Each can handle about 20 to 25 patients a day, giving SRCH the ability to see up to 125 patients who would have been treated at Vista. (Espinoza, 12/30)