ETHD Board Votes for Financial Support for SLH’s Proposed Operations by Alameda County Medical Center

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By Barbara Adranly

The Eden Health District Board of Directors voted unanimously to join in a proposal by Alameda County Medical Center (ACMC) to maintain Emergency Services at embattled San Leandro Hospital (SLH) for at least two more years. The Board of Directors voted to provide 50% of cash flow based on net income to the ACMC initiative to operate SLH and its emergency room. This funding would provide more than $250,000 in fiscal year 2013 and more than $500,000 in fiscal year 2014. Alameda County Medical Center has proposed taking over operations of San Leandro Hospital and maintaining the facility as an acute general hospital for the next two to five years. SLH’s current operator, Sutter Health, had previously planned with ACMC to convert the facility to rehabilitation services.

Eden Health District (ETHD) Board Chair, Carole Rogers, said, “We are exploring opportunities to provide support for San Leandro Hospital’s operations with other stakeholders in the community, including the City of San Leandro, the County of Alameda, Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente, among others.” The Director of Healthcare Services Agency, Alex Briscoe, has repeatedly spoken of the shortage of emergency services in Alameda County communities. Rogers said, “The District is taking a positive step in making this commitment to emergency services and encouraging others agencies to participate.”

Eden Health District CEO, Dev Mahadevan, cautioned that District funding was subject to ETHD resolving its legal issues with Sutter Health stemming from a recently ended lawsuit between the District and Sutter concerning Sutter’s lease of SLH. Rogers said, “The District remains optimistic that all the parties can come together around the ACMC initiative to keep this community resource functioning and providing services to the community.” It was noted by the District that Sutter Health deserved great credit for its maintenance of full acute and emergency services at SLH during its dispute with the District the last two years, and for its resolve to attempt to give time for community resources to come together, as represented by the ACMC initiative, to provide a longer term solution for continuation of these vital services at SLH.

For more information contact: Jonnie Banks – 510.363.8599 (ofc), 510.861.7613 (cell)

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