California Nurses Association to Participate in Blue Ribbon Panel with Goal of Saving St. Luke's Hospital as an Acute-care Facility

Nurses Agree to Panel After Key Ground Rules Established

The California Nurses Association today announces that they will participate in the Blue Ribbon Panel on the future of St. Luke’s Hospital, with the exclusive goal of maintaining acute care services at the facility. Participation in this panel is part of CNA's ongoing campaign to save St. Luke’s, including rallies and vigils outside the hospital and legislative efforts. Stopping the closure of the hospital, and other facilities targeted for closure or reduced services by Sutter Health, has also been a central issue in two RN strikes last fall – with a third strike due to begin Friday, March 21.

CNA agreed to participate in the panel after its co-chairs, in consultation with officials from the City and CPMC, agreed to a set of ground rules to ensure transparency in the process.

These ground rules include:

Access to relevant financial and other information from Sutter entities to verify the facts about St. Luke’s and Sutter Health;
An agreement that the Panel’s plan be submitted to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors;
An end to cuts in service over the life of the panel, and the restoration of medical-surgical units on the 10th floor of St. Luke’s; and
A more diverse panel reflecting community representatives from affected neighborhoods
A requirement for public meetings that are appropriately noticed and include opportunities for public comment.

“We are participating in the Blue Ribbon Panel solely in the hope that it will further our goal of keeping St. Luke’s Hospital open as an acute-care facility, ensuring that neighborhood residents can access the care they need,” commented Bonnie Castillo, RN, CNA’s Sutter division director.

“However, we have absolutely no intention of assisting Sutter in any sham process to subvert the broad community outrage at their intended closure of St. Luke's. There is an overwhelming consensus in San Francisco that Sutter has an obligation to this community to keep this hospital open as a fully functioning acute care facility for the under-served South of Market neighborhoods. Sutter officials should not think for one minute that they can use the panel to provide political cover for their plan to cut services and close the hospital,” she said.