Staff Layoffs, Reduced Hours Expected To Hit Modesto Hospital
The Memorial Medical Center cuts will impact support services staff the hardest. In other California hospital news: DEA says Scripps Health did not report the name of a surgical technician accused of stealing fentanyl; Kaiser Permanente will open a new Mission Bay medical office; and a Tri-City Hospital clerk says she was fired due to a political position.
The Modesto Bee:
Modesto’s Memorial Medical Center Cutting Almost 100 Positions
Citing changes in the health care landscape, Memorial Medical Center is laying off almost 100 employees, and other staff members could have their work hours reduced. The Modesto hospital affiliated with Sacramento-based Sutter Health said Wednesday the staff reductions will take effect at the end of April. (Carlson, 2/24)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
DEA: Scripps Didn't Provide Name Of Suspected Drug Thief
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Wednesday that Scripps Health never passed along the name of Rocky Allen, the recently-arrested surgical technician who tried to swipe a syringe of fentanyl from one of its operating rooms in 2013. Allen faces several federal charges on allegations that he stole or attempted to steal narcotics at hospitals in California, Arizona and Colorado, leaving many in the public asking how he was able to move from facility to facility without his past catching up with him. (Sisson, 2/24)
The San Francisco Business Times:
Kaiser Permanente Set To Open Estimated $200M Medical Office Building In Mission Bay
Kaiser Permanente plans to open its estimated $200 million, 220,000-square-foot Mission Bay medical office building March 8. The new nine-story complex at 1600 Owens St., near UC San Francisco’s $1.52 billion Mission Bay campus and hospital complex, will house offices for 106 physicians, and employ a total of about 500 doctors, nurses, other clinicians, technicians and administrative staffers. (Rauber, 2/24)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Clerk Says Tri-City Fired Her Over Pay Petition
A worker at Tri-City Hospital says she is being fired after advocating for a ballot initiative to cap the salaries of the public health-care district’s top executives at $250,000.Cheryl Rhead worked as the lead admitting clerk in the Oceanside hospital’s emergency room. She was also a union leader who was one of the lead signatories on the proposed pay-capping measure.
And NPR reports on nursing home evictions —
NPR:
Nursing Home Evictions Strand The Disabled In Costly Hospitals
What if you had to go to the hospital, and when it came time to return home your landlord said you couldn't move back in? Across the country, thousands of nursing home residents face that situation every year. In most cases, it's a violation of federal regulations. But those rules are rarely enforced by the states. So, in California, some nursing home residents are suing the state, hoping to force it to take action. (Jaffe, 2/25)