San Joaquin County Votes To Close Two Clinics
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to close two health clinics for low-income Stockton residents, the Stockton Record reports. The clinic at Conway Homes will close Nov. 3, and the second clinic, on Mariposa Road, is scheduled to close Nov. 30.
County officials extended the closing deadline to the end of the month for the Mariposa clinic due to a pending deal with Community Medical Centers to take over operations.
The not-for-profit health care provider reached an agreement with Kaiser Permanente to assume funding of the clinic. Under the new plan, the county will save $137,000 during the current fiscal year and $205,000 for each subsequent year.
County officials say the clinics did not treat enough patients to justify their costs.
Operating the Mariposa clinic costs about $200,000 annually, while providing services at the Conway clinic cost about $5,000 from July 2005 to June 2006. The Conway clinic was open only part time.
Officials at nearby San Joaquin General Hospital said they are "confident" that the hospital will be able to absorb displaced patients from the clinics, the Record reports (Kane, Stockton Record, 10/25).