UC-STANFORD: STANFORD APPROVES HOSPITALS MERGER

      The University of California at San Francisco-Stanford
 hospitals mega-merger got one step closer to completion yesterday
 as a Stanford University trustees committee voted 5-0 to approve
 the deal.  The San Francisco Examiner reports that the entire 32-
 member board of trustees is scheduled to ratify the merger in
 October.  However, "several groups of university employees --
 including nurses, technicians, interns and residents -- continue
 to challenge the merger."  UC-San Francisco regents approved the
 deal Friday.
      DOWN WITH THE DEAL
      The Examiner notes that several unions have come out against
 the deal and intend "to go to San Francisco Superior Court
 seeking to halt the deal."  The unions contend that the UC
 regents had no constitutional right to approve a deal that turns
 over public assets to a private organization.  They also argue
 that the "architects" of the deal failed to hold public hearings
 and comply with "public records and open meetings laws."  Thus,
 they want public hearings to be held and "full disclosure of the
 possible impact of the merger on public access and health care
 standards."  In addition, the California Nurses Association said
 it will ask the state attorney general's office to investigate
 the deal for possible improprieties.  In particular, the
 association contends that some of the regents who approved the
 deal have financial stakes in companies that will gain
 economically from the newly merged entity, the UCSF Stanford
 Health Care Corp. (Krieger, 9/23).