UCSF STANFORD: Dean Says He Will Recommend Restructuring
UCSF Medical School Dean Dr. Haile Debas told faculty yesterday that he will likely endorse a fundamental revamping of UCSF Stanford Health Care when he delivers a "crucial recommendation on the future of the merger" to the UCSF Stanford board in two weeks. "My personal opinion is that the merger is not serving UCSF in the way it was fashioned to do," he said. He revealed yesterday that he plans to call for restoring public control of troubled Mount Zion Medical Center as well as of UCSF Medical Center. Restoring their status as public entities would make them re-eligible for state aid, which may be the only way to save Mount Zion. He said, "We have to be realistic. We need state support," adding that Mount Zion is "a UCSF problem, and UCSF should decide what to do with Mount Zion." He said he envisions such an arrangement for the next five to seven years -- until Mount Zion can be replaced by a new facility that would meet seismic safety standards and specialize in health care for women, children and cancer patients. "This is my dream," he said. Until then, however, he supports retaining UCSF Stanford COO William Kerr, who resigned effective next week, to run the San Francisco facilities. Debas said, "He operated these hospitals well in the past. He knows the ins and outs. We hope we can persuade him to stay" (Russell, San Francisco Chronicle, 8/12).
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