Nurses, Community to Protest Closure of Mills-Peninsula Acute Rehab Center: TONIGHT, 5:45

Sutter Health’s Latest Anti-Patient Stance: Forcing Patients Dealing with Paralysis, Stroke, or other Critical Injuries  to Travel 20+ Miles to San Francisco for Rehabilitation

Outraged by the latest attempt by Sutter Health to cut services at Mills-Peninsula Health Services, nurses and patients from across the Bay Area will attend the Peninsula Health Care District board meeting tonight to demand it blocks a bid to end acute rehabilitation services at the facility.

The district has provided public funds to Sutter in the past to preserve this very same unit, but Sutter recently announced plans to close it as early as this September.  If Sutter succeeds, patients with spinal-cord, brain, and other severe injuries will have no access to intensive rehabilitation in San Mateo County, and will be expected to drive to San Francisco or Santa Clara.

WHAT: 
Nurses, Patients Rally for Acute Rehab Services at Mills-Peninsula

WHEN: 
Thursday August 27, 2009 – 5:45 p.m.

WHERE: 
Peninsula Health Care District Board Meeting, held at 
Millbrae City Council Chambers, 621 Magnolia Avenue, Millbrae

“Sutter took $2 million to rebuild these services, and instead is actually planning to downgrade them, which will mean poor outcomes and inconvenience for our patients,” said Genel Morgan, an RN at Mills-Peninsula and a member of the CNA/NNOC Board of Directors.  “Patients and their friends and family, and caregivers, are outraged at this, and we call on the health care district board to join our efforts to stop Sutter, and save the Mills acute rehab program.”

Senator Leland Yee added in a letter, “I respectfully request that the Peninsula Health Care District Board oppose the closure of the Acute Rehabilitation Center and utilize whatever tools may be available to prevent the loss of this essential service.”

Richard Holober of the Consumer Federation of California also wrote to the health care district board to urge it to oppose Sutter's plans.  He wrote, "When Sutter asked local residents to approve a new long-term lease arrangement with the Peninsula Health Care District at Peninsula Hospital, it pledged to provide a full complement of high-quality health services, and promised the community that services would not be reduced."