Without Tax To Fund Seismic Retrofitting, Kern’s Only Hospital Could Close
County residents will vote on the tax June 6.
The Bakersfield Californian:
Tax Would Help Kern River Valley's Only Hospital Avoid Closure
The Kern River Valley’s only hospital may be shut down in 2030 if voters don’t pass Measure C, a parcel tax on the June ballot that would fund state-required seismic retrofitting, hospital officials say. The tax, which would cost property owners $98 per parcel per year for 40 years and generate about $32 million, would be used to build an expanded emergency room. The election is June 6. The current ER, a cramped, two-room wing that accommodates as many as a dozen patients at once, violates patient privacy laws and cannot withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake, which would put it in violation of state law in 2030, said Tim McGlew, CEO of the Kern Valley Healthcare District, which includes Kern Valley Hospital. (Pierce, 5/14)
In other hospital news —
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Should UCSD And Other Hospitals Pay Millions Of Dollars To Sports Teams?
UC San Diego Health is paying about $1 million per year for the right to call itself the “official health care provider of the San Diego Padres,” according to a sponsorship contract between the baseball team and the university. The deal, which took effect this year, provides a glimpse into the changing role of medical practice in professional sports. Gone are the days when teams simply hired who they liked best to take care of their players. Today, experts said, pro teams of all types know that health providers are willing to write six-zero checks for exclusive marketing rights that have the potential to turn loyal fans into paying patients. (Sisson, 5/15)
The Mercury News:
A Peek Inside The New Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
Having outgrown its space to accommodate more patients and the latest medical technologies, the hospital in 2007 launched its expansion plans. And in December, the new $1.1 billion building will finally open its doors. The five-story addition more than doubles the size of the hospital to 844,000 square feet, seamlessly linking the original building with the new one. As construction workers put the finishing touches on the hospital, a tour this week of the new building revealed many key elements are already in place. (Seipel, 5/13)