Save San Leandro Town Hall Thursday: Public Outraged by Secret Sutter/County Deal to Close Hospital

Patients, nurses, and legislators reacted with disbelief and outrage to last week’s announcement that Sutter Health will close San Leandro Hospital and transfer it to Alameda County. The notice came the day after they were denied ownership of the facility.

Sen. Ellen Corbett, the California Nurses Association, and grassroots community organizations have responded with a renewed push to save San Leandro Hospital, and maintain emergency and acute-care services.  Sen. Corbett is hosting a community town hall today, Thursday, Aug. 27 on the issue.

“ETHDB is the lawful owner of this public entity, and the majority cast their vote to keep the hospital open as a full-service acute-care facility with an emergency room,” said Carole Rogers, RN, and ETHDB member. “Neither Alameda County Medical Center nor Sutter Health has the legal right to sign a lease or transfer ownership without our approval, which they don’t have.  Sutter and the county are desperate and out of options and are now trying to do an end-run and bully their way through.”

What:         Sen. Corbett Town Hall on Future of San Leandro Hospital
When:        Thursday, August 27, 2009, 6:00 p.m.
Where:       San Leandro Public Library
                 300 Estudillo Avenue, San Leandro, CA

The Eden Township Healthcare District Board (ETHDB) voted Aug. 18 to deny Sutter’s bid to purchase the hospital, which it currently manages. The next day, Sutter announced that they were transferring ownership of the hospital to the county, with plans to shut it down and make it a rehabilitation facility. 

The transfer is the latest in a series of questionable actions by Sutter in its efforts to close San Leandro and segregate patient services in the wealthier neighborhood of Castro Valley. The actions include:

• No public notice as required by law: A letter sent Aug.19 by ACMC to stakeholders indicates that the lease agreement was reached on  Aug. 3, but the ETHDB did not know about the deal until recently. When were the mandatory public meetings to assure meaningful public participation in this decision?
  
  
• Personal and financial conflict of interest between ETHDB and Sutter Health:  California Gov. code 1090 prohibits ETHD from entering into any contracts in which any individual board member is financially interested. Research revealed that several potential conflicts of interest on the part of ETHD officials and board members existed at the time the MOU and related agreements were considered, decided, and made by the ETHD Board, Sutter Health, and EMC.
  
  
• Suspicious evidence of missing information: Minutes from critical board meetings in 2007, when the Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U.) was under consideration between the district and Sutter don’t exist, the fault being directed at a former secretary.  The missing records likely contain information that is unfavorable to Sutter.