With coronavirus concerns at an all-time high, many seniors
aren’t comfortable going into grocery stores and food
distribution is a way to ensure this vulnerable population has
food.
Dignity Health Connected Living has been Shasta County’s
designated food banks for decades and they’ve stepped up their
helping hand in extending their eligibility on who can take part
in their food distribution.
As the number of COVID-19 cases soars in the United States
and more than 1,600 in California as of Sunday
afternoon, hospitals in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties are
preparing for what experts refer to as a “surge” of patients
seeking treatment.
Hospitals in the region are taking increasingly more aggressive
measures to protect patients. On Sunday, for instance, Community
Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula adopted a no-visitors
policy. (voicesofmontereybay.org)
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted to approve $20
million in funding to keep Daly City’s Seton Medical Center open
amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The board voted 4-1 Tuesday, to allocate $5 million annually over
the next four years to keep the hospital open and avoid creating
a health care desert. Verity Health Systems, the hospital’s
owner, filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and had been planning to
shutter the hospital as soon as this week.
Patti Taylor says that nursing at 3,000 feet isn’t for the faint
of heart.
When Taylor, a critical care transport nurse, zips up her flight
suit, she is prepared for anything aboard Air George, Valley
Children’s Hospital’s shiny orange and blue EC-135 helicopter.
(fresnobee.com)
On March 6, Hospital Council convened a call with health
officers and health systems in Sacramento and Placer counties to
address the community’s response to COVID-19. For more
information, contact Brian Jensen at bjensen@hospitalcouncil.org.
On March 5, Hospital Council convened Alameda and
Contra Costa County community benefit leaders to plan for a
roll-out of the community health needs assessment and hospital
community benefit plans. Meetings with county supervisors
will take place in early summer; Hospital Council will release a
one-page summary in mid-summer. For more information, contact
Rebecca Rozen at rrozen@hospitalcouncil.org.
On March 4, Hospital Council’s Santa Clara Section received
an update from Santa Clara County Deputy Health Officer George
Han, MD, on the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation. Attendees
also heard from Barbara Glaser, senior legislative advocate at
the California Hospital Association, on 2020 legislative
priorities and the state budget. For more information, contact Jo
Coffaro at jcoffaro@hospitalcouncil.org.
On March 3, Hospital Council convened Contra Costa County
emergency department leaders for a demonstration on reviewing,
downloading, and updating their data in the county’s ambulance
patient offload time online dashboard (FirstWatch). Accuracy is
paramount, as the Contra Costa EMS Agency is submitting these
data to the state and ambulance providers have previously used
these data to argue for penalizing hospitals with excessive wait
times. For more information, contact
Rebecca Rozen at rrozen@hospitalcouncil.org.
On Feb. 25, Hospital Council met with newly elected San
Francisco Board Supervisor Dean Preston, who is highly focused on
housing and affordability issues. For more information, contact
Michon Coleman at mcoleman@hospitalcouncil.org.
On Feb. 24, the San Francisco Section met to hear from San
Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott, who expressed a desire for
continued partnership with hospitals as the city works to address
homelessness and mental health issues. The section also heard
from San Francisco Health Officer Tomas Aragon, MD, who provided
an update on the city’s response to COVID-19. For more
information, contact Michon Coleman at mcoleman@hospitalcouncil.org.
Rebecca Rozen is completing a round of introductory
meetings with new district directors for state and federal
legislators representing the East Bay. To date, meetings have
been held with new district directors, as well as staff with
state Senator Nancy Skinner
(D-Berkeley), Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda)
and Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA 15th District). For more
information, contact Rebecca Rozen at rrozen@hospitalcouncil.org.
Last year, Hospital Council encouraged the Sacramento County
Emergency Medical Services Agency (SCEMSA) to launch the
Emergency Medical Advisory Group (EMAG). Recognizing the vital
role SCEMSA plays in the community’s health, the advisory group
helps to address staffing and performance challenges and creates
a venue for program improvement.
EMAG includes executive-level representatives from Dignity
Health, Sutter Health, UC Davis Health, and Kaiser Permanente.
After holding its two initial meetings last year, it met on
February 13 to:
Identify what data elements the local emergency medical
services (EMS) agency needs to collect and analyze to drive
quality improvement with ambulance providers and hospitals
Decide what staff resources are needed to perform current and
emerging EMS programs
Determine the budget needed to support SCEMSA so that health
care providers can advocate with policymakers on SCEMSA’s
behalf
Consider how to communicate the need for these changes to an
audience of decision-makers who are not versed in EMS
issues
The next EMAG meeting will take place on April 9. Hospital
Council staff convenes conference calls with the EMAG’s hospital
members and their staff before and after each official meeting to
help the field stay unified in addressing issues.
A recent Hospital Council Board of Directors meeting featured a
presentation from Margot Kushel, MD, who made the compelling
case that the surge in hospitals caring for homeless patients
will not be resolved until a community’s housing balance is
right. Following that presentation, board members Gino Patrizio,
CEO, Memorial Medical Center, and Daniel Wolcott, President,
Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, decided to examine the
communities they serve through that lens. At the joint meeting of
the San Joaquin-Mother Lode and Stanislaus-Merced Sections on
February 27, attendees heard from Stanislaus County CEO Jody
Hayes and colleagues from his office and the Stanislaus Regional
Housing Authority presented on the housing side of homelessness
in their County.
The presentation described the optimal continuum of housing stock
which ascends from emergency shelters to transitional housing to
permanent supportive housing to low income/workforce housing to
market-rate rental housing to home ownership. Hayes made the
point that nearly all the public and political focus is currently
on the lower end of the spectrum – emergency shelters,
transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. Unless
there is sufficient stock of the housing types in the
upper half of the range, there will always upward pressure on
housing prices and downward pressure squeezing low-income members
of the population into poorer housing types and onto the streets.
In the same way that health systems are increasing looking
upstream by addressing social determinants of health, communities
must look upstream in the housing supply to eventually eliminate
unsheltered homelessness. Hospitals may begin to engage even more
in this aspect of solving homelessness, in addition to providing
clinical care and coordinating discharges to appropriate
settings.
The balance of the meeting consisted of an open CEO roundtable
discussion of hospital challenges, concerns, and emerging trends
and a conversation about quality initiatives with new Hospital
Quality Institute President Robert Imhoff.
Ensuring access to behavioral health care is a priority for
hospitals across the state and is being addressed in different
ways. At its recent section meeting, Hospital Council’s
Sacramento-Sierra Section heard from Sacramento County Behavioral
Health Director Ryan Quist, MD, who spoke about the challenges
and potential solutions related to mental illness and substance
use. His vision: developing more robust outpatient programs, as
well as the ongoing expansion of crisis residential units as a
step-down destination for patients leaving a psychiatric
inpatient setting. He also shared his plan to use county funds to
incent room and board facilities to upgrade to licensed board and
care facilities that can better accommodate the mental health
care of residents.
Attendees also heard from Alicia Kurtz, MD, medical director at
Mercy San Juan Medical Center, on the California Bridge Program.
Through this program, hospitals can receive $50,000 to start
medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. In
2017, overdose deaths surpassed fatal motor vehicle collisions.
Emergency department (ED)-initiated buprenorphine, rather than
the typical ED brief intervention and referral, approximately
doubles patients’ engagement in addiction treatment. She
presented other evidence showing how MAT is in the best interests
of both patients and hospitals. As previously
shared in Council Connect, the California Bridge
Program is accepting applications through March 20.
Ignacio has been living in the same industrial alley near the Los
Angeles River for the past 20 years. Tyresha calls San
Francisco home, but has been without stable housing for more than
a decade. And while they may be hundreds of miles apart, their
lives have both been touched by health care professionals in
their communities.
There are countless others like them throughout the state, and
the “Homeless Guardians” series introduces readers
to Ignacio and Tyresha — as well as the doctors,
nurses, social workers and others who have dedicated themselves
to protecting those who are experiencing homelessness. Homeless
Guardians — a special project of CHA and Our Health California —
is a chance to share stories from hospitals throughout the state,
and invite the public to learn about the quiet, compassionate,
and perpetual care that makes a real difference in people’s
lives. This four-part series was introduced in January, with
chapters focusing on Sacramento and San Diego. The third and
final chapters, which are now available, spotlight the work of
health care professionals in San Francisco and Los
Angeles.
Since launching the series last month, more than 6,232
page views have been generated from 4,539 unique visitors,
with the largest potion coming from mobile users — 71%. Look for
the next wave of the series in the coming weeks, which will
incorporate mayoral interviews. In the meantime, please share
the series with your friends, colleagues and social
media acquaintances so they can see for themselves the great work
that is being done.
At a time when many prefer to ignore the problem, those who work
at hospitals also choose, purposefully, to not look the other
way. Instead, they turn their time and their lives toward the
people who are often cast aside, to those who need their care the
most. This project is a way of letting the policymakers and the
public know about the work that hospitals are doing to help the
150,000 people experiencing homelessness in California, making it
the governor’s top budget and social priority.
In the past week, the extent of novel coronavirus in our state
and across the country has become more clear, and more
sobering. As with many public health issues, this one is both
highly complicated and rapidly evolving.
Responding quickly to daily information updates from federal and
state officials, hospitals statewide have mobilized to care for
their communities and protect their workers. Your associations
have also mobilized — to connect with decision makers, synthesize
information, press for needed public health policy shifts, and
advocate for you to get the resources you need.
Coordination at All Levels
We’ve been in constant contact with hospitals and health systems
that have so far been directly affected by coronavirus, making
sure local and state public health departments — as well as city,
county, state and federal lawmakers — understand their front-line
concerns and lessons already learned. More issues will arise in
the days and weeks ahead, and we’ll be stay on top of them on
your behalf. Here are some of our most recent activities:
Governor’s Emergency Declaration
In a letter to California Health and Human Services
Secretary Mark Ghaly, MD, earlier this week, we urged the
state to shift from a strategy of containment to one of
mitigation. As part of that strategy, we asked Gov. Newsom to
declare a state of emergency. On Wednesday, he issued that
declaration and included several of our requests as part of it:
allowing the California Department of Public Health to approve
suspension of health facility licensing statutes; allowing
the Emergency Medical Services Authority to approve out-of-state
medical personnel for work in California without additional
state licensure; and allowing the Department of Social
Services to permit hospitals to provide child care without a day
care license.
Subsequently, the Governor announced extending disability
benefits to health care workers who are unable to work due to
having or being exposed to COVID-19, which we requested. We
also requested a letter to health plans and insurers reminding
them of their coverage obligations to enrollees suspected or
confirmed to have COVID-19, and the Department of Managed Health
Care and Department of Insurance have since issued those
letters.
Congressional Spending Bill
We’ve also been working closely with members of the California
congressional delegation, serving as a resource for information
about what’s happening in our communities and calling for funds
to be designated for hospitals. On Wednesday, Congress passed an
$8.3 billion spending package that includes $400 million for
state grants, some of which will be available to hospitals. The
bill has now been signed by the President.
Also on Wednesday, in a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
CHA President & CEO Carmela Coyle shared the impact the virus is
having on California hospitals as they prepare and respond,
acknowledging that, depending on the course this virus takes,
more funding may be needed.
Crisis Communications
To help you share information with and respond to questions from
the public, the media, staff, and your patients, we’ve retained a
top crisis communications firm. They’re developing key
messages and template materials that will be available for
hospitals next week — including general public health messaging;
website content on best practices and potential exposure; a
letter providing clarity and assurance to staff; summaries of
current protocols, use of personal protective equipment, testing,
and prevention; and communications to help if your hospital
experiences an initial case of the virus.
The crisis communications services are also available on an
as-needed basis for hospitals affected by the virus. For more
information about tapping into these consultants, contact CHA’s
Vice President, External Affairs, Jan Emerson-Shea
at jemersonshea@calhospital.org.
We know now that community transmission of novel coronavirus is
upon us — and we know you stand ready to do what’s needed to
mitigate its impact in your communities. In turn, we also
stand ready to help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any or
all of us for assistance or to share information.
Carmela Coyle, President & CEO, California Hospital
Association
Bryan J. Bucklew, President & CEO, Hospital Council — Northern &
Central California
George W. Greene, President/CEO, Hospital Association of Southern
California
Dimitrios Alexiou, President & CEO, Hospital Association of
San Diego & Imperial Counties
Stanford Health Care has developed a new test for the COVID-19
disease and is now using it to verify suspected cases of the
illness at its hospitals.
The announcement of the new test comes as Stanford University
disclosed on Thursday that it is treating a “few”
patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.
The test is being used for patients at Stanford Hospital and
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford who are suspected of
being infected with the respiratory virus SARS-CoV-2, which
causes COVID-19. (paloaltoonline.com)
Voters gave an unequivocal thumbs-up Tuesday to Mendocino Coast
District Hospital affiliating with Adventist Health. Early
election returns showed 90 percent support for Measure C.
The measure asked whether the district should enter into a lease
agreement with Stone Point Health to operate the hospital for up
to 30 years. Stone Point Health is a subsidiary of Adventist
Health.
A vote of more than 50 percent was the threshold for the measure
to pass. As a publicly-owned hospital district, voters have
ultimate say over its future. (advocate-news.com)
Tim Joslin, president and CEO of Fresno-based Community Medical
Centers for the past 15 years, will step down from the position
this summer.
Joslin’s retirement will be effective July 3, when Craig Castro
will take over the role. Castro is currently Community’s
executive vice president and chief operating
officer. (fresnobee.com)
The Coronavirus has elected officials, health care leaders, and
citizens from not only California, but across the country and
internationally, looking to California on how we respond to this
latest health issue — and we take comfort in knowing that our
hospitals are prepared.
That’s because the hospitals we represent work, day in and day
out, to be prepared for emergency situations — whether wildfire,
earthquake, or pandemic. Your constant vigilance means that, when
disaster strikes, you’re prepared to care for those in need. As
coronavirus spreads — patients are already in San Francisco,
Contra Costa, Solano, and Napa counties — Californians and
communities across the country will be looking to us to reassure
them and provide them with the care that need – like we always
have.
We know that your preparation relies on support from emergency
response agencies across the state. The Hospital Council
and CHA is coordinating and collaborating with our county public
health departments, the leadership at the California Department
of Public Health (CDPH) and federal agencies like the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. CHA is working with CDPH to
better hospitals’ preparation for patients with coronavirus, in
part by establishing a weekly phone call between CDPH and
hospitals (every Tuesday at 7:45 a.m.).
When a problem, question, or concern arises, please contact your
Hospital Council Regional Vice President or CHA; we can
consolidate and escalate them to the appropriate people,
including those at the highest levels.
We appreciate the dedication and leadership of your hospital
staff, our multiple county public health leaders, and that the
CDPH team — please do not hesitate to reach out to me either with
a phone call or text at (916) 767-3176 with your questions,
concerns, and feedback.
Your input will help us ensure you are as prepared as possible
for what’s to come.
The Hospital Council Board of Directors held its first meeting of
2020 last month, kicking off the year with robust discussion of
the top issues facing hospitals in our region, including:
Working with PG&E to improve the public safety
power shutoff process. Hospital Council and the
California Hospital Association (CHA) continue to meet with
PG&E to share hospitals’ concerns about the process, and
this week sent a letter to PG&E CEO William Johnson asking
for greater support to ensure hospitals can continue to provide
the best care for Californians.
Specifically, Hospital Council and CHA asked that PG&E:
Prioritize hospitals alongside other emergency response
personnel.
Provide a clear understanding of where hospitals lie on an
emergency grid.
Share better estimates and minimize the duration of
anticipated outages.
Establish a clear timeline for improving information sharing
and communication.
Schedule a direct, in-person meeting with PG&E leadership
and Hospital Council/CHA
Addressing homelessness within our
communities. January’s meeting featured a presentation
by Margot Kushel, MD, director of the University of California,
San Francisco Center for Vulnerable Populations. Dr. Kushel
spoke about the myths and realities of homelessness in our
state, highlighting hospitals’ role in caring for the homeless
and leading a discussion of what success in this area looks
like.
Responding to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
More details are provided below, but be sure to hold Tuesdays
at 7:45 a.m. (PT) for a standing, hospitals-only conference
call with the California Department of Public Health.
As the pace of this year continues to increase, your board will
keep the issues most important to you at the forefront of all we
do, so that you can continue to do what you do best — provide
outstanding care to Californians.
Hospital Council will host its annual Leadership Summit on Nov.
15-16 at the Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa. New this year,
Hospital Council is partnering with the Hospital Quality
Institute to provide members a robust program with information
for not only hospital leadership, but also quality and patient
safety professionals. The event will open with an evening
reception for members, followed by morning sessions devoted to
C-suite executives and afternoon sessions specific to quality and
patient safety. More details will be available soon.
A new mobile clinic will soon roll out providing free healthcare
on wheels for medically underserved communities in Monterey
county.
The 30-foot traveling healthcare clinic owned and operated by
Salinas Valley Memorial hospital has two exam rooms, a waiting
area, and a working lab. It’ll serve some of the most needy in
the community who often have barriers to vital healthcare.
(KSBW.com)
A $25 million project is now underway to retrofit Alameda
Hospital, upgrades that are required by the state to remain
licensed as a hospital with emergency room services.
The seismic work will take place in the hospital’s west building
and is projected to be finished by October 2021, Jeanne Herrera,
a spokeswoman for Alameda Health System, said on
Friday. (Mercurynews.com)
When Adventist Health St. Helena announced last month it
will close its birthing center on Jan. 11 because of low patient
volume, the news marked the latest among North Bay community
hospitals reevaluating the sustainability of their obstetrics
departments.
In Sonoma County, after seeing a 35% drop in births since 2015,
Sonoma Valley Hospital on Oct. 31, 2018, shuttered its obstetrics
department, one of several cost-cutting moves the hospital made
that year. (Northbaybusinessjournal.com)
Tulare Regional Medical Center (TRMC) put a lot of effort into
healing itself during 2019, and the results are encouraging, says
Tulare Adventist President Randy Dodd.
After reopening in October of 2018, 2019 marked the first full
calendar year of operation for the resuscitated medical facility,
a year that saw much of the new leadership’s efforts directed to
undoing the damage to the Tulare Local Health Care District and
the hospital’s reputation. (Ourvalleyvoice.com)
While opioid misuse continues to be a big problem in many
different parts of the country, the Community Hospital of the
Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) and other Monterey County providers
see the benefits of care collaboration efforts paying off in
a big way. (Healthcareitnews.com)
To expand healthcare choices and access in the Stockton area,
Adventist Health will manage Dameron Hospital starting Jan. 1,
2020, under an agreement between the nonprofit healthcare
organizations, Dameron Hospital Board President Bill Trezza
announced on Dec. 18.
Starting in February, Stanford Hospital will offer a special
forensic exam and counseling for sexual assault survivors.
The number of sexual assaults reported in Santa Clara County is
up nearly 60% compared to just three years ago. Despite the
drastic rise, there is currently only one location in the entire
county where victims can receive a forensic exam by specifically
trained nurses. (NBCBayArea.com)
The California Department of Public Health allowed Healdsburg
District Hospital to reopen Wednesday following a 24-day
shutdown that began Oct. 26 when the Kincade fire prompted
mandatory evacuation orders for much of Sonoma County.
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital on July 4 was rattled by a 6.4
magnitude earthquake. It was a foreshock to a 7.1 temblor that
occurred the next day — the largest to strike California in
nearly 20 years.
With less than a month before graduation, College of the Sequoias
nursing student Candice Gish knows what her next step is.
As long as she passes her licensing exam, she’s got a job offer:
a critical care nurse at Kaweah Delta Medical Center.Gish joined
about 100 others Tuesday at the Visalia Convention Center to
interview for nursing positions at the hospital. Many, like
Gish, are graduating from nursing school in
December. (visaliatimesdelta.com)
A new hospital and urgent care facility is proposed for Morgan
Hill. Kaiser Permanente is looking at opening a medical office in
the city. And the County of Santa Clara is preparing to remodel
the De Paul Health Center. (morganhilltimes.com)
Sonoma Valley Hospital will begin construction next month on a
new diagnostic center, hospital officials announced on Tuesday.
The first phase in building its $21 million diagnostic center
will include a new CT scanner, a larger waiting room for patients
and the beginnings of refurbishing existing space that housed the
old emergency department. (Sonomanews.com)
Mercy Medical Center in Redding is leading the fight against
opioid epidemic through a new program they’ve started with the
Redding Rancheria.
The program identifies patients who come into Mercy Medical
Center’s emergency room who are suffering from an overdose or who
are experiencing withdrawal. (KRCRTV.com)
It was early Friday morning, and most of the city was asleep when
Kern Medical, Bakersfield’s only trauma center and teaching
hospital pulled the switch, fired up what they consider the
Cadillac of medical record keeping, the Ferrari of digital
patient information — and began a new era. (Bakersfield.com)
Hands-on training is invaluable in the medical field. Some high
school students in Fresno Unified School District had the
opportunity to tour Community Regional Medical Center and see
various facets of the hospital.
Suited up in their scrubs, various students got to walk in the
shoes of a health professional for a day and see what happens at
the busiest hospital in the Central
Valley. (yourcentralvalley.com)
As fire blazed just eight miles away from Sutter Santa Rosa
Regional Hospital, its chief executive Mike Purvis received a
phone call from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Cal Fire,
the state’s fire agency. The hospital was officially being
ordered to evacuate.
One thing will make veteran real estate developer Larry Wasem
drop everything and head to Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital.
It’s an on-call job with no pay. And it’s a far cry from his
decades-long work as managing partner at Airport Business Center,
which has numerous properties throughout Sonoma County.
It’s the opportunity to cuddle an inconsolable baby in the
neonatal intensive care unit. (Northbaybusinessjournal.com)
Over the past two months, Oakland-based Bay Area Community
Services and Kaiser Permanente say they’ve found
housing with social support services for more than
250 homeless individuals, and there’s more to
come. (Bizjournals.com)
Dignity Health Memorial Hospital has received the Pathways to
Excellence Re-Designation, a worldwide credential that emphasizes
Memorial Hospital’s commitment to creating a healthy work
environment for nurses to feel empowered and appreciated.
(Bakersfield.com)
Valley Children’s Healthcare launched a new partnership today to
address one of the most significant healthcare needs in the
region.
Universal Health Services (UHS) will construct and operate the
new 81,600 square foot, 128-bed behavioral health hospital, which
will provide accessible, high-quality and advanced
behavioral health services in the Central Valley. (Press Release)
Bakersfield Heart Hospital will become the first hospital in the
Central Valley to offer a new lung valve treatment for patients
with severe COPD/emphysema.
The Endoscopic Lung Volume Reduction surgery is a minimally
invasive procedure to help emphysema/COPD sufferers breathe
easier without major surgery, according to Bakersfield Heart
Hospital. (KBAK/KBFX)
Sierra View Medical Center will begin constructing a new skilled
nursing facility in 2020.
In a statement issued by the hospital on Tuesday, the Sierra View
District which manages the hospital has decided to replace the
existing 35-bed distinct part skilled nursing faclity now located
within the Sierra View Medical Center. (The Porterville
Recorder)
Rural hospital closures increase patient mortality by nearly
six percent, but urban closures have no measurable impact on
patient outcomes, according to
a study published by the National Bureau of
Economic Research.
(Becker’s Hospital Review)
California’s Department of Public Health will move dozens of
permanent beds from a long-term residential program at Zuckerberg
San Francisco General Hospital to a short-term program in another
part of the hospital. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Valley Children’s extracorporeal life support (ECLS) program has
received international recognition from the Extracorporeal Life
Support Organization (ELSO) as a Silver Level ELSO Award
recipient. (The Business Journal)
Adventist Health could soon be allowed to set up an emergency
room in Paradise.
A bill carving out an exception from the state rule forbidding
free-standing emergency rooms for Feather River Hospital is
expected to come to a final vote in the state legislature soon.
(Chico Enterprise-Record)
Adventist Health Hanford is one of only 22 out of 514 hospitals
across 40 states to receive an “Excellence in Patient Safety
Across the Board Award” from a leading healthcare
improvement company. (HanfordSentinel.com)
UCSF Medical Center has been recognized among the nation’s elite
hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s 2019-2020 Best
Hospitals survey, marking the 21st year that UCSF Health has been
listed among the top 10 hospitals in the prestigious listings.
(UCSF.org)
Among other after-effects of destructive flames that burned the
Feather River Adventist Medical Center, the Camp Fire has changed
another aspect of life in Butte County — where to give birth in
the region. (Chico Enterprise-Record)
Sacramento County and Dignity Health are undertaking an $18.7
million effort to relieve pressure on the region’s psychiatric
hospitals by opening a facility at Mercy San Juan Medical Center
that will treat patients in behavioral health crisis for up to 23
hours. (The Sacramento Bee)
Aurora Santa Rosa Hospital, a freestanding acute psychiatric
hospital in Santa Rosa, is growing in a health care segment that
historically has been shrinking.
Aurora, which currently has 95 licensed beds, is adding another
49. And construction is underway on a building expansion that
will double the size of Aurora’s outpatient program, adding 3,500
square feet. (North Bay Business Journal)
For patients and doctors alike, one of the main concerns before
and after surgery has become the prescription and subsequent
dependency on opioid-based painkillers, and it’s resulting big
changes to the surgical process.
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley received the American Heart
Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines
– Stroke Honor Roll Gold Quality Achievement Award. This award
recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients
receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally
recognized, research-based guidelines on the latest scientific
evidence. (The Ukiah Daily Journal)
Adventist Health in the Central Valley received eight Energy to
Care Awards from the American Society for Health Care Engineering
(AHSE) for reducing energy use and freeing up resources to
support patient care. Adventist Health medical offices in
Coalinga, Fowler, Hanford, Home Garden, Huron, Madera and Selma,
as well as Adventist Health’s Kerr Outpatient Center in Hanford,
received recognition. (The Sentinel)
Kaiser Permanente has helped usher about 300 homeless seniors off
the streets of Oakland and into stable housing over the past six
months — a milestone that means the healthcare giant is more than
halfway to its ultimate goal. (The Mercury News)
In recognition of its expertise in serving adults with congenital
heart disease (CHD), Sutter Medical
Center, Sacramento earned accreditation from the Adult
Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), a nationwide organization
focused on connecting patients, family members and healthcare
providers to form a community of support and a network of experts
with knowledge of CHD. It is the third accredited adult
congenital heart disease (ACHD) program
in California and the first in the
greater Sacramento region. (Cision PR Newswire)
Trauma survivors met and thanked those who saved their lives at
Mercy Medical Center in Redding during the first ever Trauma
Survivor Luncheon on Monday.
Emergency room doctors, nurses, surgeons and paramedics all
showed up to interact and meet some of the people who’s lives
they’ve saved over the years. (7 KRCR News)
Balloons adorned the newly installed signs at Adventist Health
Tulare.
Parking lots were nearly full Wednesday morning as the hospital
officially welcomed its new name and a new era for the Tulare
Local Health Care District.
A ceremony celebrated the finalization of the lease to
Adventist Health and the approval of the name switch to Adventist
Health Tulare. (Visalia Times Delta)
Who needs a dog when you can pet a 12-foot Burmese python?
About 50 young patients at the Sutter Medical Center children’s
center in Sacramento got an up-close look at the snake, an adult
alligator, a porcupine, a penguin and other critters Thursday
morning, when “animal ambassadors” from SeaWorld San Diego came
for a visit. (The Sacramento Bee)
Eastern Plumas Healthcare in Portola has a new CEO on board as of
Jan. 3, and Todd Plimpton took a moment recently to introduce
himself to the community. (Plumas News)
Marshall Medical Center’s longtime CEO James Whipple is
set to depart after nearly four decades with the hospital.
Whipple has led Placerville-based Marshall Medical for the last
16 years, and has spent 38 years with the hospital across his
career. Previous to becoming CEO, he was the chief financial
officer of the medical center. (Sacramento Business
Journal)
Kaiser Permanente’s Thrive Local initiative comes as more health
systems are attempting to tackle social determinants of health
and cut down on accompanying high medical utilization costs.
(HealthcareDive)
Ginny Pacheco is one of the many residents who lived on Wheeler
Road who comes back regularly to visit the spot where her home
once stood. The entire neighborhood was decimated by the Camp
Fire in November.
Since then, much of the debris has been cleared out.
“This is probably the last time I’ll see it,” Pacheco said. “Next
time I come up, all of this will be gone.” (Fox 40)
Sutter Health today announced the June 3 opening
of Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation’s (SPMF) Van
Ness and Geary medical office building (or MOB) at 1100 Van
Ness Ave. The building, owned by Pacific Medical Buildings, is a
10-story, 250,000 sq. ft. facility located across the street
from Sutter’s new CPMC Van Ness Campus hospital,
which opened in March. More than 120 specialty physicians and
clinicians from the Sutter Health network will occupy five floors
of the building in the heart of San Francisco.
Preliminary figures released Wednesday from the biennial
point-in-time count of the nation’s homeless population show that
the number of homeless in Marin decreased by 7% between January
2019 and January 2017. (Marin Independent Journal)
The Sonoma Valley Hospital recently received certification as
being “acute stroke ready” by the Center for Improvement in
Healthcare Quality. The hospital received the certification based
on its level of care – including its swift response and
application of appropriate medication, according to SVH
officials. (Sonoma Index-Tribune)
Children with autism will now have a better experience when it
comes to taking in the beauty, fun, and education of Fresno
Chaffee Zoo.
Together with Valley Children’s hospital, the zoo is launching
‘George’s Pass’, a program that will make the zoo more accessible
and an inclusive place for families who have a child with
autism. (ABC30 Action News)
Is it possible something as simple as a special cleanser could
save a patient from getting a health care-associated infection?
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to
test the theory. It examined chlorhexidine (CHG), an
antimicrobial cleansing agent used primarily to bathe patients
hospitalized in the intensive care unit, to see if it could
prevent health care–associated infections (HAIs), particularly
antibiotic-resistant staph infections, known as MRSAs, or
“superbugs.” (NorthBay Business Journal)
Enloe medical staff unveiled its new cutting-edge robotics
program, allowing local surgeons to offer the most up-to-date
surgical techniques. (ActionNewsNow)
Amid fears of “The Big One” and citing the need for earthquake
safety, the State of California has placed a deadline for
hospitals to retrofit their buildings — a task that could cost
billions of dollars.
A new cancer care center has opened in Chico, staffed by doctors
and nurses who worked through the Camp Fire at a hospital in
Marysville to continue providing care for more than 100 cancer
patients.
The new center in north Chico will provide access for patients
who lost their care location when Adventist Health Feather River
Cancer Center in Paradise was forced to close after the Camp
Fire, and is dually sponsored by both UC Davis Health and
Adventist Health. (Enterprise-Record)
A bottle of shampoo. A tube of toothpaste. These are simple
things that many folks take for granted.
But they are much appreciated by human trafficking victims on the
road to recovery and a fresh start in life.
As part of the hospital’s “No More” campaign, employees of Kaiser
Permanente Fresno donated and collected enough personal hygiene
products to fill more than 1,000 toiletry bags for Breakings
the Chains, a local nonprofit that helps human trafficking
victims. (GV Wire)
Upvalley workers and seniors will soon have a better pulse on
their health and the means to possibly dodge a hospital visit
down the road.
In its latest round of grant-giving to bolster healthcare for
underserved populations in Napa County, the Napa Valley Vintners,
a wine industry trade group, recently awarded $250,000 to the St.
Helena Hospital Foundation.
The NVV’s grants tend to take aim at healthcare and education in
the county, channeling funds into nonprofits providing services
for children and the elderly. (Napa Valley Register)
California had just weeks to get a program that used medication
to treat opioid use disorder up and running after receiving $90
million in federal grants in 2017. So officials found a model
that was already working in Vermont, and supersized it to fit the
sprawling state. (Politico)
After they amputated the second toe on John Trumbla’s right foot
last summer, doctors sent him to a nursing home because he still
needed medical care — but not necessarily a hospital bed.
The proud, burly Army veteran resisted at first, but he didn’t
have a choice. Before his hospitalization at Santa Clara Valley
Medical Center, Trumbla, 56, and his wife had been homeless,
crashing in his boss’s construction shop or living out of their
station wagon. (California Healthline)
Healthcare providers at Sutter Health’s Northern California
campus will soon have access to an Epic EHR-integrated
virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to
reduce the administrative burden of EHR use.
The not-for-profit health system recently announced it will
collaborate with digital assistant solutions provider Suki to
pilot the new health IT tool. Suki is a voice-enabled virtual
assistant that uses voice commands from physicians in context to
create clinically accurate notes within EHR systems. (EHR
Inteligence)
It’s been decades since San Francisco was ground zero for the
AIDS epidemic, but for one population, it still is.
Viral suppression drugs have made HIV a survivable disease for
many, but there is a major discrepancy when it comes to people
who are marginally housed or homeless.
The new POP-UP clinic at UC San Francisco’s Ward 86
at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital(ZSFG) is aiming
to correct this discrepancy. (UCSF)
Adventist Health Clear Lake leaders joined with city of Clearlake
officials on Thursday evening to celebrate their partnership to
improve quality of life in the community.
In a special joint meeting of the Clearlake City Council and
Clearlake Planning Commission, David Santos, the president and
chief executive officer of Adventist Health Clear Lake, presented
a check for $100,000 to Mayor Nick Bennett.
Listed below are the 102 rural hospitals that closed between Jan.
1, 2010, and March 19, 2019, as tracked by the North Carolina
Rural Health Research Program. (Becker’s Hospital Review)
Becker’s Hospital Review recently published its 2019 edition of
the “100 hospital and health system CIOs to know” list. It
features some of the most impressive health IT leaders from
around the country dedicated to advancements and innovation in
the industry. Tahoe Forest Health System’s Chief Information and
Innovation Officer, Jake Dorst, has been honored with this
recognition. (Tahoe Forest Health System)
Dignity Health announced Thursday it is distributing $1.05
million this year to dozens of community-based organizations in
Nevada, Sacramento and Yolo counties to help meet community
health needs outside its hospital walls.
The grants are going toward assisting the most vulnerable
residents of the region: at-risk children, survivors of human and
labor trafficking, individuals living with mental illness and
dementia, the homeless and ethnic groups with high rates of
chronic disease. (The Sacramento Bee)
More than 30 hospitals across California, many in rural areas,
will soon be able to treat patients for opioid withdrawal on the
spot.
The state chose the hospitals for a federally-funded program that
trains doctors on medication-assisted treatment. It’s a way of
easing opioid withdrawal symptoms by giving someone a less
addictive painkiller. (Capital Public Radio)
He doesn’t know it now but when Grayson James Wright is old
enough to speak, he’ll have quite a story to tell about how he
came into the world.
“Oh, it was terrifying,” said Kamber Wright, Grayson’s mother,
who was one week away from her due date of November 15 and her
husband Matthew was at work when the phone started ringing.
(KRCR News Channel)
Kaiser Permanente Fresno has announced an investment in the new
initiative Street2Home — a countywide collaboration to combat
homelessness. (The Business Journal)
Mark Twain Medical Center may see some changes in the coming
months, due to the recent merger between Dignity Health and
Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI). (Calaveras Enterprise)
Just three short years ago the city of Willits received the gift
of a state of the art hospital when Adventist Health Howard
Memorial Hospital (HMH) was built. Today the 25-bed hospital is
full most days as are the many physician rooms at the
corresponding Redwood Medical Clinic. But, HMH president Jason
Wells says growth is on the horizon. (The Willits News)
St. Joseph Health has created a managed care network that brings
together several local hospitals and more than 360 primary and
specialty care physicians in Sonoma and Napa counties, the health
care system announced Feb. 11. (North Bay Business Journal)
The Oroville Hospital is undergoing a major expansion project
that will double its size. The multi-million dollar
expansion will double the size of the hospital, going from 133
beds to 211 beds. (Action News Now)
Nearly 16 months ago a handful of people stood atop the
three-story parking garage at Kaiser Permanente’s Santa Rosa
hospital, awestruck as they witnessed flames from the Tubbs fire
destroy their trailers at Journey’s End mobile home park.
(The Press Democrat)
Sitting in a living room in Oakland, a cute robot with giant eyes
gazes at a 65-year-old with heart failure and asks how he’s
doing, making conversation about the patient’s family and the
weather while gathering daily details about his health.
(Fast Company)
Marin General Hospital has deployed a real-time location
system (RTLS) to boost the hand-hygiene rate among its 1,800
health-care workers and physicians. Since the system was taken
live, the facility’s hand-hygiene compliance has increased, on
average, from 45 percent to 77 percent. The hospital has achieved
a reduction in the rate of infections since the system was
installed, and while it can’t necessarily correlate those results
with the technology itself, that reduction in infections rates
was the facility’s goal.
Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity
Health sealed the deal Friday on their prolonged
courtship that lasted more than two years, according to the
new system’s website.
The Chicago-based not-for-profit system—now known as CommonSpirit
Health—has 142 hospitals, 150,000 employees, nearly $30 billion
in revenue and more than 700 care sites across 21 states,
including 30 hospitals in California. (Modern Healthcare)
Kaweah Delta Healthcare District has joined forces with Cleveland
Clinic’s Heart & Vascular Institute, the No. 1 ranked heart
program in the U.S. (Fox 26)
Doctors Behavioral Health Center is now offering a new
comprehensive, short-term outpatient therapy program for patients
dealing with mental health issues.
The Partial Hospitalization Program helps patients whose
psychiatric illness is impairing their ability to function
successfully in their lives, and where traditional outpatient
therapy services are not sufficient to meet their needs. Patients
can access a variety of therapies and educational groups to
understand their emotional challenges and improve their coping
skills. (PattersonIrrigator.com)
Like many health systems, Kaiser Permanente, though admittedly a
multibillion dollar organization, faces challenges when faced
with the complex duality of both living within their means and
delivering the best possible care and meaningful services. They
use the dollars they get to provide that care and keep the lights
on so to speak, and it all comes from the same “pot.”
(HealthcareFinance)
Mark Twain Medical Center (MTMC) is proud to award Catholic
Charities (of the Diocese of Stockton) for their Calaveras
focused “Family Wellness Program” the Dignity Heath Mark Twain
Medical Center Community Grant for 2018. “This expansion will
increase mental health service providers in Calaveras County,
increase access points, and available appointments within the
service area,” remarked Elvira Ramirez, Executive Director for
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Stockton.
Adventist Health and Rideout experienced a year of growth in
2018. The hospital will build off of its successes as it looks to
expand its facilities around Yuba-Sutter.
Rick Rawson, president of Adventist Health and Rideout, said
details as to what an expansion could look like still need to be
fleshed out, which will likely take place over the next several
months. He said the ultimate goal is to increase access to
services for Yuba-Sutter residents, not just people living in
Marysville. (Appeal-Democrat)
