San Mateo General Hospital May Look to Stanford, UCSF for Financial Assistance

To help San Mateo County General Hospital out of a "financial crisis," officials are considering an alliance with Stanford University Medical Center or University of California-San Francisco Medical Center, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to county manager John Maltbie, affiliating with either of the two institutions could "help San Mateo County overcome a projected $12 million shortfall in the coming year's budget." The Chronicle reports that San Mateo General is being "squeezed" by reduced government reimbursements and increased energy costs, while medical costs continue to rise. Maltbie said, "We haven't had any discussions with [the medical centers], but we're certainly open to any possibilities that allow us to maintain a high level of care. If we think on a preliminary level it makes any sense, then we'll sit down and work out a concept." Meanwhile, the two medical centers are facing their own financial dilemmas in the wake of their own failed merger. Officials expect to release a series of recommendations for San Mateo General in July, Maltbie said (Pence/Wilson, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/13).