Obstetricians Working At Catholic Hospitals Face Additional Set Of Religious Rules
Doctors must follow the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which prohibit birth control, abortion and, in most cases, sterilization. In other hospital news, Palomar Health closes its standby ER in downtown Escondido and Ventura County Medical Center nurses are offered an 11-percent wage increase.
KPCC:
OB-GYNs Navigate Catholic Hospitals' Ethics Rules
On a recent morning, Dr. Brian Fenmore listens to the heartbeat of the baby growing inside a pregnant patient's belly at Providence Tarzana Medical Center. Everything looks and sounds normal, he says. But the woman is 42 years old and diabetic, so Fenmore explains that she's at higher risk of having a Cesarean birth. That spurs another discussion. (Plevin, 2/9)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Palomar To Close Downtown Escondido ER On Mar. 14
Palomar Health plans to shutter its standby emergency department in downtown Escondido on March 14 while having affiliated urgent-care centers in the area stay open later to help take up the slack, the medical system’s officials said Tuesday. These actions have been eyed since June, when Palomar announced that it would close its downtown hospital, formerly called Palomar Medical Center, because running the facility costs about $20 million per year and the services available there could be offered by sister hospitals in west Escondido and Poway. (Sisson, 2/9)
The Ventura County Star:
County Offers Nurses 11 Percent Raise, But No Deal Reached
Ventura County officials say they've offered county nurses an average wage increase of more than 11 percent but have not yet reached a deal with the union. "We are at a standstill," said Kim Milstien, CEO of Ventura County Medical Center and Santa Paula Hospital. (Kisken, 2/9)