HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05132014 - D.7RECOMMENDATION(S):
ACCEPT report on the impact of the possible closure of Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo due to failure of the
tax referendum on May 6, 2014 and the steps the County will be taking to address health care delivery in West Contra
Costa County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact - this is a report only. There is a potential future fiscal impact to the County from the closure of the
hospital which cannot be measured at this time.
BACKGROUND:
The tax referendum to prevent Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo (DMC) from closing failed to pass on May 6,
2014. Possible closure of the facility is anticipated as early as July 2014 due to long standing economic issues that
have threatened it’s sustainability for many years. All efforts to resolve these issues have been explored and are
likely exhausted. Efforts to sustain hospital operations are tenuous. DMC leadership has submitted a closure plan to
Contra Costa Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The pending closure will constitute a public health emergency.
In July 2011 Contra Costa EMS conducted an independent analysis and impact report of Doctors Medical Center San
Pablo (DMC). The report “Study of West County Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Department and Critical
Care Access” indicated that the closure of DMC may result in a severe impact to the 250,000 residents of West
Contra Costa County and is available at
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 05/13/2014 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
Contact: Dorothy Sansoe,
925-335-1009
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the
Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: May 13, 2014
David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: , Deputy
cc:
D.7
To:Board of Supervisors
From:William Walker, M.D., Health Services Director
Date:May 13, 2014
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Health Care Delivery in West Contra Costa County - Closure of Doctors Medical Center
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
http://cchealth.org/ems/pdf/west_county_emergency_report_july_2011.pdf and is also attached to this Board
Order. DMC is one of only two hospitals in West Contra Costa County, representing 79% of the inpatient
capacity, 59% of the Emergency Department care and receives 62% of the ambulance traffic in West Contra
Costa County. The hospital receives approximately 40,000 Emergency Department visits annually. The report
determined the following impacts to the region:
• The elimination of DMC would impact all hospitals in the region but especially Kaiser Richmond.
• West County Emergency Department waiting times would likely reach 10-12 hours for walk-in patients.
• Ambulance off-load times could increase up to three hours impacting patient flow and safety.
• Rapid access to specialized services for high risk heart attack (STEMI) and stroke would be affected.
• 9-1-1 ambulance response throughout the entire Contra Costa EMS System would likely be affected resulting in
delays for first responders.
• Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, John Muir Concord, Kaiser Richmond, Alameda County’s Summit, Alta
Bates and Children’s Hospitals would be the most heavily impacted facilities.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Board and the public will not receive this vital information.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
Not applicable.
CLERK'S ADDENDUM
Speakers: Gayle McLaughlin, Mayor of Richmond; Maria Sahgun, West County resident; Hermelinda
Gonzalez Rivero; Seong Choo, R.N. Doctors Medical Center (DMC); Vinnel Thomas, resident of El Sobrante;
Madhu Sheth, DMC; John Grier, DMC; George Arauz, DMC; Sharo Drager, M.D, DMC; Jody Munoz, DMC;
Chris Wright, DMC; Marianel Marshall-Diaz, resident of Richmond; Sam Mesnick, resident of Oakley;
Antonio Medrano, San Pablo Chamber of Commerce; DeeAnn Barnes, resident of San Pablo; Carol DeYoung,
DMC; Laura Innocent, DMC; Jane Gilbrecht, NUHW; Laurel Hodgson, M.D., DMC; Brenda Bagby, DMC;
Michael Jhon, resident of El Cerrito; Arlin Robins, El Cerrito; Melvin Willis, ACCE; David Sharples, resident
of Richmond; Edith Pastrano, ACCE; Maximo J. Rivera, resident of Richmond; Rochelle Bradley, DMC; Mike
Parker, Richmond Progressive Alliance; Leslie Wyatt, DMC; Sibyl Nleal-Adesakon, BWOPA; Charlene
Arrington, California Nurses Association; Joye Thomas-Cruz, resident of Vallejo; Jeff Kilbreth, resident of
Richmond; Edwardo Martinez, resident of Martinez; Nemesia C. Oquendo, DMC; Patricia Jordan, resident of
San Pablo; John Wilson, ACCE; Yovana Vasquez, ACCE; M. L. mellander, resident of El Sobrante; Irene
Thompson, resident of San Pablo; Jim Bickert, Deputy Sheriffs' Association.
ATTACHMENTS
July 2011 Study of West County Emergency Medical Services
PowerPoint Presentation on Doctor's Medical Center San Pablo
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Study of West County Emergency Medical Services,
Emergency Department, and Critical Care Access
Final Report
A report from:
The Abaris Group
Walnut Creek, CA
July 2011
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Scope.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
The Environment ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Pinole Campus Impact Evaluation Report ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13
Demand and Resources ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Population .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
ED Capacity ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 15
ED Payer Mix ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
ED Acuity ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Impact .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Ambulance Transports....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Hospital Beds ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
EMS System/Major Emergencies ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Table of Exhibits
Exhibit 1: Map of Area Hospitals and the West Contra Costa Healthcare District .................................................................................. 12
Exhibit 2: Population Projections for Cities in West County, 2005-2015................................................................................................. 14
Exhibit 3: Comparison of Emergency Departments .................................................................................................................................. 15
Exhibit 4: Doctors San Pablo ED Payer Mix, 2011 ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Exhibit 5: Doctors San Pablo ED Acuity Mix, 2009 .................................................................................................................................... 18
Exhibit 6: Median Household Incomes by City, 2009 ............................................................................................................................... 19
Exhibit 7: Doctors San Pablo ED Visits, 2000 -2009 ................................................................................................................................... 19
Exhibit 8: Estimated Travel Times from Doctors San Pablo to Nearby Hospitals .................................................................................... 20
Exhibit 9: Ambulance Volume to Doctors San Pablo, 2010 ...................................................................................................................... 21
Exhibit 10: Doctors San Pablo ED Volume Projections, 2011 -2015 ......................................................................................................... 22
Exhibit 11: DSP Closure Impact on ED Volume at Other Hospitals, 2011-2015 ...................................................................................... 24
Exhibit 12: Daily Ambulance Arrivals Impact if Doctors San Pablo ED Closes, 2011 -2015 ..................................................................... 26
Exhibit 13: Annual Ambulance Impact if Doctors San Pablo ED Closes , 2011-2015 ............................................................................... 26
Exhibit 14: Doctors San Pablo ED Patient Disposition Array .................................................................................................................... 27
Exhibit 15: Beds and Utilization at Area Hospitals, 2009 .......................................................................................................................... 29
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Contra Costa EMS Agency
Study of West County ED and Critical Care Access/Capacity Issues
By The Abaris Group
Executive Summary
Overview
An audit released on June 14, 2011 identified significant financial concerns for the long -term sustainability of Doctors Medical Center San Pablo
(DSP). The audit identified millions of d ollars of operating losses over the past three years. This follows the medical center’s bankruptcy, which was
declared in 2006. During the bankruptcy period, the Emergency Department (ED) was closed to ambulance traffic for almost two months. Prior to
July 2004, Tenet Healthcare Corporation operated the hospital on behalf of the West Contra Costa Healthcare District.
While the District is seeking to continue hospital services, the Contra Costa EMS Agency believes it prudent to undertake an analysis of the
potential impact of a change of services or closure of the hospital on the provision of emergency care in the West County are a. Thus, The Abaris
Group has been asked to undertake an independent analysis of the impact of a potential closure of DSP.
Key Conclusions
1) The loss of DSP would be catastrophic to West Contra Costa County; it is one of only two hospitals in the region.
2) DSP represents 79 percent of the inpatient capacity in the region.
3) DSP provides 59 percent of the ED care in the region.
4) DSP receives 62 percent of the regional ambulance traffic.
5) The remaining West County hospital would be inundated by this
patient volume shift as DSP patients would need to go somewhere.
6) The remaining hospital is part of Kaiser and the general public
typically perceives it as unavailable to non-Kaiser members.
7) The region already does not have enough needed ED treatment
stations or ICU beds even with DSP.
8) West County ED waiting times will likely reach 10-12 hours.
9) Additional ambulance hours needed to maintain curren t EMS
performance would cost $2.5M annually.
10) Critical infrastructure would be eliminated to support a disaster.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Kaiser Richmond
with DSP open
Kaiser Richmond
with DSP closedBedsTotal Beds
Med/Surg Beds
ICU Beds
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
Kaiser Richmond
with DSP open
Kaiser Richmond
with DSP closedED Visits
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Assessment
The Abaris Group conducted an assessment of the public demand for ED services in the West County and also a detailed inventor y of ED and
inpatient capacity in the region. It is The Abaris Group’s opinion that the closing of the ED at DSP will have a substantial, negative effect on local
health care providers and the public. While this effect will vary depending on the actual change th at occurs and the location of alternative
providers, it will disproportionately affect Kaiser Medical Center Richmond (Kaiser -Richmond). As an example, 9-1-1 ambulance traffic from the
region would overwhelm Kaiser-Richmond’s ED or require transporting patients to other EDs that would be further away, impacting ambulance
availability within the county. This was the case in 2006 during the two -month ED closure when DSP filed for bankruptcy protection.
The full closure of the ED at DSP should be the biggest concern for the community and other healthcare providers in the region. In the event of
such a closure, Kaiser-Richmond will experience 80 – 100 new ED patients per day on top of the 78 it already sees daily. That is an increase of at
least 102 percent. While there are 12 other EDs in the region, Kaiser-Richmond will be disproportionately impacted. The reason for this is that
patients typically choose the next closest ED for their ED needs, barring significant new healthcare resources in the communi ty or an extensive
public education campaign. Additionally, public education processes alone will not likely change a majority of the public’s b ehaviors as they relate
to selecting an ED. The resultant additional volume at Kaiser -Richmond will quickly overwhelm its small 15-bed ED and force extraordinary delays in
the assessment, treatment, and disposition of all patients arriving at that ED. This will lead to significant public frustrat ion, risk to patient safety,
and ultimately will discourage some patients from going to the ED when they need care. ED overload and ambulance off -load delays will be
pervasive, occurring consistently during peak hours of the day at Kaiser -Richmond. The initial impact on other EDs in Alameda and Solano Counties
is likely to be low and thus only have a nominal impact on these institutions. However, during periods of high saturation at Kaiser -Richmond, these
hospitals would receive a greater additional load.
In the event of a downsizing of ED operations at DSP and the resultant limitati on on ambulance arrivals at that facility, all area hospitals are likely
to be impacted but, again, Kaiser-Richmond will be the most impacted. Even with the potential for the County EMS Agency to reallocate ambulance
patient destinations by policy for more equitable distribution, only a portion of th ese patients will lend themselves to those changes. The Abaris
Group calculates an increase of 12 to 13 new ambulance patients per day at Kaiser -Richmond. These patients will have a higher acuity than walk-in
ED patients and will require more resources with nearly half of these patients needing inpatient beds including critical care be ds. In an ED the size
of Kaiser-Richmond, this is a substantial increase of higher -acuity patients that will lead to ED overload and ambulance delays on a frequent daily
basis. This will affect general ambulance traffic and Kaiser patients attempting to arrive by ambulance to their hospital of choice. The remaining 10
to 11 daily ambulance cases transported to other regional EDs will not likely have a substantial effect on these EDs, but saturation of ambulances
by Kaiser-Richmond would result in a greater impact on these hospitals.
Many of the new ambulance patients will also require inpatient bed capacity. Should DSP not be able to accept ambulance patients or close, The
Abaris Group calculates there would be a sufficient number of medical/surgical (med/surg) beds in the region (see discussion on bed calculations
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
later in this report), but the current shortage of intensive care beds would become significantly worse. Non-ED admission needs are another
concern for the community if DSP closes its hospital. Assumptions on med/surg and intensive care beds would dramatically chan ge should private
physicians, currently admitting non -ED admissions at DSP, pre-empt the use of these limited available beds at regional hospitals for their private
admission practices.
There will also be a substantial impact on pre-hospital care resources in the West County. A significant increase in ambulance co verage will be
needed to offset longer transport times due to any change in status at DSP and resultant ambulance saturation at Kaiser -Richmond. A 2004 report
conducted by The Abaris Group concluded that 337 additional ambulance hours would be needed per w eek to maintain the same level of EMS
performance in Contra Costa County. That is the equivalent of two 24/7 ambulances costing $2.5 million annually to sustain. In addition, there
would likely be increased patient ED “off-load” times for the ambulance provider due to capacity issues at Kaiser-Richmond that would leave
ambulances out of service for longer period of times due to delays in finding a patient bed. There will also likely be a significant impact on fire first
responders assisting ambulances with some transports and a potential impact on air medical providers should their services be needed more often
to back up the ground ambulance service. Additional ambulance resources will be needed to assist with the resultant secondary transfers that will
occur with patients arriving at hospitals with insufficient capacity. This will also add considerably to patient and payer costs . Any reduction of
hospital services at DSP would also have a tremendous impact on resources available for major emergencies in the community. Should the hospital
close and the West County be isolated during such an emergency, this could have an enormous impact on mortality and morbidity .
There is also the consideration that many of these displaced patients would be taken to hospita ls without their specialty physician would not have
hospital privileges, the patient’s medical records would not be available at that hospital and certain payer preferences woul d likely not be honored
further adding costs to the patient experience.
In summary, The Abaris Group’s conclusions are as follows:
(1) Closure of the ED at DSP will have a substantial, harmful effect on local health care providers and to the public in general i n the West County.
(2) Kaiser-Richmond will be disproportionately affected with a significant increase in ambulance traffic (approximately 12 new ambulance cases
per day) and a substantially higher total ED patient volume (approximately 86 additional patients per day).
(3) Kaiser-Richmond’s ED and inpatient capacity would be insufficient to handle the new volume of cases from the ED walk-in and subsequent
hospital admissions.
(4) It is unlikely that walk-in patients would travel to considerably more distant EDs for their care, thus creating higher volumes at Kaiser -
Richmond and long waits.
(5) The long waits for walk-in patients would be frustrating for them, delay their assessments, and ultimately may discourage patients who need
an ED from seeking care there.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
(6) Waiting times at Kaiser-Richmond will likely reach 10 – 12 hours for walk-in patients.
(7) The significant increase in ambulance volume at Kaiser Richmond will likely lead that hospital to substantial increases in ambulance “off -
load” times for ambulance cases arriving at the hospital. The 45-minute “off-load” delays typical for West County are anticipated to reach 80
– 100 minutes if the majority of ambulance traffic is diverted to Kaiser Richmond.
(8) Increasing ambulance saturation at Kaiser -Richmond will mean higher volumes to other EDs in the region who are already at maximum
capacity and cannot handle this additional load.
(9) It is unlikely that all ambulances could be safely diverted to other regional EDs without some risk to patient care.
(10) There is insufficient intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity in the region to handle the potential new volu me of admissions from DSP.
(11) The prehospital care system is likely to be substantially impacted in the West County and moderate impact countywide likely affecting
ambulance response times to 911 calls and delaying handoff of patients from first responder fir e agencies with the potential of impacting
their operations.
(12) Should DSP close its ED, there would be a significant drop in emergency resources available in the event of a major emergency. Current DSP
employees would have to find work outside the region, fu rther reducing trained healthcare personnel available during an emergency.
(13) Patients, their medical records, specialty physicians for these patients would be displaced and there would likely be payer c onsequences
adding to the costs of these events.
Findings
Other findings of The Abaris Group on the potential closure of DSP’s ED are as follows:
(1) DSP is licensed for 189 beds, 25 ED treatment stations and 35 ICU beds.
(2) The hospital had a total of 6,293 hospital admissions in 2009 with 5,204 of these admission s coming from the ED (83 percent).
(3) DSP is the busiest ED in West County with a 2009 ED volume of 40,473 visits and has the second highest ambulance volume count ywide with
8,186 ambulance arrivals.
(4) It is the only hospital in the West County with a STEMI (ST-Elevated Myocardial Infarction) Center; the next closest is 15 minutes away
assuming patients are not transported to a closer, non -STEMI hospital for diagnosis before being transferred to a STEMI center. DSP provides
25 percent of the STEMI care in the county. Patient outcomes would be threatened and longer lengths of stay expected due to the resulting
delays in arranging for interfacility transfer or transporting patients to more distant STEMI centers. This critical asset would be a substantial
loss to the healthcare system.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
(5) The hospital and ED resources in the West County are already strained w ith the past closure of Doctors Medical Center Pinole. This is
evidenced by the need for the past expansion of the ED at DSP and in/outpatient services at Kaiser -Richmond.
(6) The next closest hospital to DSP is Kaiser -Richmond with 42 acute care beds, 8 ICU beds and 15 ED treatment stations.
(7) Other hospitals in adjacent communities with travel times from DSP include: Kaiser Richmond (8 minutes), Alta Bates Summit (1 5), Alta Bates
Berkeley (16), Children’s Oakland (16), Kaiser Oakland (16), Alameda County - Highland (19), Sutter Solano (25), Kaiser Vallejo (23), Contra
Costa Regional (23), Marin General (27), John Muir Concord (27) and Kai ser Walnut Creek (31).1
(8) Any change in ED services and resultant inpatient services will have a dramatic impact on access of care for the community members and on
other West County and regional providers.
(9) Alternative delivery systems (e.g. urgent care, public health clinics) and transportation resources are not currently availab le to assist with
redirecting walk-in patients to other EDs beyond the facilities at Kaiser-Richmond.
(10) In particular, Kaiser-Richmond would be the most impacted with an expected full year impact of 30,315 new ED patients (83 per day)
including 4,633 new ambulance patients (12.3 per day). In 2009, the Kaiser-Richmond ED saw 28,538 patients with 4,412 arriving by
ambulance. The new (2012) annual volume would be 58,853 for an increase of 106 percent from the 2009 ED volume; ambulance pat ients
would increase by 105 percent.
(11) Other hospitals would be impacted with new volumes to different extents (using data from the 2006 ED closure as a model). The full year
impact of a closure is expected to increase calendar year 2012 total ED volume by 1,780 patients at Alta Bates Berkeley, a 4.1 percent
increase, and 391 at Alta Bates Summit, a 0.9 percent increase. These volume increases are not significant and would not overwhelm these
facilities. However, Contra Costa Regional Medical Center is the busiest, most saturated ED in the County and would be disproportionately
affected. The DSP closure would send an additional 3,129 patients to Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, which is more than the already
overburdened ED can absorb. It already sees more than double the number of patients per treatment station (3,543 per OSHPD in 2009)
than almost every other ED in the county.
(12) The heavy increases of ambulance traffic at Kaiser -Richmond could require that it frequently activate its emergency/disaster medical surge
protocols forcing diversion of all ambulance traffic having an even larger impact on patients and hospitals in the region and thus further
straining resources with long cross-county transport times. Diversion is not permitted in Contra Costa County except for internal disaster.
(13) The med/surg bed need generated by a closu re might be absorbed by Kaiser-Richmond and the two Alta Bates hospitals. However, during
peak periods admissions may be much higher than average and exceed capacity requiring frequent emergency surge protocol activation.
(14) A DSP closure would result in a sh ortage of critical care beds (per 2009 OSHPD data). There are currently not enough ICU beds in Contra
Costa County as current occupancy is 66.5 percent (65 percent is considered the maximum). Without the DSP critical care capac ity, ICU
census for the county would reach 84.7 percent.
1 Assumes no delays due to commute traffic, construction, vehicle crashes, etc. This could add another 20 to 30 minutes .
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
(15) There would likely be a significant resource impact on the ambulance delivery system with more ambulance hours needed due to the longer
transport times and to assure compliance with performance standards. A prior report identified that more than 300 additional ambulance
unit hours per week would be needed to maintain the existing level of ambulance service. Since it is unlikely that funding would be available
to cover the over $2 million annual cost of those additional unit -hours, changes in service level requirements would need to be considered.
There would also be an unspecified but significant operational impact on the fire first responder providers who would have longer call times
due to longer transports and air medical providers who may be requested to conduct additional transports in the region.
(16) There would be significantly less reserve resources to respond to a major incident or disaster. Approximately 11 – 16 percent of the county’s
total medical surge capacity disaster bed capacity would be eliminated; the West County medical surge capability would drop by at least 81
percent (assuming that Kaiser Richmond could only surge 5 percent, which most hospitals could do up to 15 – 25 percent).
(17) The closure of DSP would cause a n et increase in the cost of healthcare for West County residents. Access to primary and ED care will be
more difficult, resulting in significant impacts for CCRMC and Kaiser Richmond. As access to care becomes more restricted, West County
residents are likely to delay care for treatable conditions until they become emergent. Residents will have to travel further (if they have
transportation) for even the most minor of conditions to use their insurance providers. West County ambulance transport times would be
longer and cost more, residents transported to non -plan hospitals would incur treatment charges until they could be safely transferred to
complete their care requiring more doctors, nurses, and staff to cover the longer length of stays, frequent re -admissions and increased
volume caused by the disruption in West County healthcare.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Contra Costa EMS Agency
Study of West County ED and Critical Care Access/Capacity Issues
By The Abaris Group
Overview
An audit released on June 14, 2011 identified significan t financial concerns for the long-term sustainability of DSP. The audit identified millions of
dollars of operating losses over the past three years. This follows the medical center’s bankruptcy, which was declared in 20 06. During the
bankruptcy period, the Emergency Department (ED) was closed to ambulance traffic for almost two months. Prior to July 2004, Tenet Healthcare
Corporation operated the hospital on behalf of the West Contra Costa Healthcare District.
While the District is seeking to continue hospital services, the Contra Costa County EMS Agency believes it prudent to undertake an analysis of the
potential impact of a change of services or closure of the hospital on the provision of emergency care in the West County are a. Thus, The Abaris
Group has been asked to undertake an independent analysis of the impact of a potential closure of DSP.
Issues raised by the EMS Agency to be addressed in this study include the overall impact on the emergency care system of the loss of the ED and
critical care beds currently provided by DSP, impact on the residents of west Contra Costa County of reduced resources and longer transport times,
impact on the EMS system (i.e., ambulance and first responders) of reduced local hospital emergency care resources, the pot ential impact on other
hospitals and health care systems in Contra Costa and neighboring counties, and the potential impact of a major emergency or disaster on the
remaining healthcare providers in the West County area. The Abaris Group has been asked to u ndertake an independent analysis of the impact of a
potential closure of DSP.
Scope
For this study, The Abaris Group conducted an assessment of ED and critical care bed demand and population changes in the Wes t County to assist
with the evaluation of the potential impact of a change in providers. The Abaris Group has also prepared various scenarios on the impact, cross
connecting predicted demand and changes in demand on the various stakeholder groups including patients, EMS providers, hospit als and other
healthcare providers.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Specific steps taken in this study included:
(1) Collected data on historical, current and future West County population, ED utilization, critical care and EMS transports
(2) Collected and evaluated historical documents and reports (i.e., Impact Evaluation Report on the Doctors Medical Center Pinole Proposed
Closure of Emergency Services, January 14, 2000 and The Abaris Group West County ED Access Study from May 2004)
(3) Prepared impact analysis including scenarios and their impact:
a. Impact on emergency and non-emergency medical care for residents of West County communities
b. Impact on EMS system
c. Impact on other hospitals and health care systems (e.g., Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, Kaiser, Alta Bates)
d. Impact on other health care providers (e.g., county and community clinics, private physician practices)
The Environment
DSP is an acute care hospital licensed for 189 beds, 25 ED treatment stations and 35 ICU beds. The 2009 ED volume of 40,473 m akes the ED the
busiest in the West County area and it is the second highest volume ambulance destination site countywide with 8,186 EMS arrivals during 2009.
The hospital is the destination for approximately 71 percent of all ambulance transports for the West County area. According to data from the
Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), the hospital admitted from the ED 5,204 patients (12.9 percent o f ED visits) during
2009.
The only other hospital in the immediate area serving the West County is Kaiser -Richmond. In comparison, Kaiser-Richmond has 50 licensed beds,
15 ED treatment stations (14 beds and 1 ear, nose and throat chair), and 8 ICU beds. The number of ED arrivals at Kaiser -Richmond for 2009 was
approximately 28,538. While Kaiser -Richmond is a full-service hospital, it does not offer some tertiary services such as cardiac surgery, orthopedics,
or pediatrics. These services are offered at the Kaiser Oakland campus. Kaiser -Richmond’s ED admissions were approximately 1,930 (6.7 percent)
of their ED patients in 2009.
The following is a list of other hospitals in the adjacent area of DSP with EDs and the number of licensed ED treatment stations:
Alameda County Med Center - Highland Campus – 52 treatment stations
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates (Berkeley) Campus – 22 treatment stations
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus – 30 treatment stations
Children’s Hospital and Research Center at Oakland – 37 treatment stations
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center – 20 treatment stations
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Vallejo – 26 treatment stations
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Kaiser Richmond
Doctors San Pablo
Oakland Children’s
Summit
Kaiser
Alta Bates
Highland
Mt. Diablo
Contra Costa Regional
Sutter Delta
Kaiser Walnut Creek
John Muir
San Ramon Regional
Sutter Solano
Kaiser Vallejo
Marin General
Marin General Hospital – 18 treatment stations
Sutter Solano Medical Center – 21 treatment stations
The following map provides a geographical portrayal of regional hospitals and the approximate area of the West Contra Costa Healthcare District.
Exhibit 1: Map of Area Hospitals and the West Contra Costa Healthcare District
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Pinole Campus Impact Evaluation Report
In November 1999, Doctors Medical Center notified the Contra Costa EMS Agency of a planned realignment of services between the Pinole and San
Pablo campuses effective March 2000. The proposed realignment included the closure of the acute medical care and intensive ca re units at the
Pinole campus and replacement of the Pinole ED with an urgent care center. The Pinole campus was to retain outpatient surgery services,
transitional care, long-term care, substance abuse, sleep lab, and cardiac rehabilitation.
An Impact Evaluation Report was prepared by the Contra Costa EMS Agency to assess the impact of the ED closure on the community, including
the impact on access to emergency care and the impact on emergency services provided by other entities such as ambulance, pol ice, fire, and
other area hospitals. The impact report was submitted to the State Department of Health Services in accordance with provisions of Health and
Safety Code Section 1300. The State Department of Health Services allowed the downgrading of emergency services at the Pinole campus to urgent
care status.
The existence of the Impact Evaluation Report for the Pinole campus provides an opportunity to compare the predictions of the earlier report with
actual experience. Several scenarios were provided in the original analysis. For example, the report indicates that anywhere from 0 to 10,091 visits
were projected for the Pinole Urgent Care Center during 2000. In actuality, the current Pinole Urgent Care Center is treating approximately 5,200
patients annually. The report also predicted an ED visit impact on DSP of anywhere from 3,604 to 13,837 new ED visits in 2000 (a range of 11 to 42
percent), based on reallocation of the Doctors Pinole ED volume for the full year. The actual 2000 increase in ED visits at D SP was 6,739 (26
percent), but given that the Pinole campus did not close their ED until Apr il 3, 2000, the annualized increase at DSP was 8,985 (34 percent)
(assuming all of the growth was due to the Pinole closure). In 2001, DSP experienced an additional increase of 3,745 ED patie nts (11 percent). The
hospital had been experiencing a decline of ED visits averaging 1.4 percent for the previous five years (1994 -1999).
At the time of the County impact analysis, Kaiser -Richmond had a Standby ED permit but was authorized to accept most ambulance patients due to
having recently added ICU beds. ED vis its to Kaiser-Richmond decreased by 1,701 (5.4 percent) for 2000 and the hospital experienced a small
increase in 2001 of 344 ED patients (1.1 percent). The decline may have been a function of changes in reporting ED visits as Kaiser, which has a
triage system that sends lower acuity patients to their urgent care area.
Thus the Urgent Care Center in Pinole did not achieve as high a volume of patients as expected, but DSP did experience the pr edicted large growth
in ED volume in the year of closure and the next year primarily due to the closure of Doctors Pinole. Kaiser -Richmond does not appear to have been
impacted.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Demand and Resources
Population
The 2010 population of the West County area most served by DSP is approximately 205,675 and expected to gr ow to 220,613 by the year 2015.
This is an annual average growth rate of 1.4 percent.
Exhibit 2: Population Projections for Cities in West County, 2005-2015
Population Projections, 2005-2015
City 2005 2010
Average Growth per
Year, 2005-2010 2015
Average Growth per
Year, 2010-2015
Richmond 102,307 105,630 0.6% 113,302 1.4%
San Pablo 31,129 32,131 0.6% 34,465 1.4%
Hercules 23,198 24,693 1.3% 26,486 1.4%
El Cerrito 23,244 23,666 0.4% 25,385 1.4%
Pinole 19,469 19,555 0.1% 20,975 1.4%
Total 199,347 205,675 0.6% 220,613 1.4%
Source: California Department of Finance, 2005-2010, Abaris Group projections
Note: Population projection based on California Department of Finance projected growth for Contra Costa County
15|
Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
ED Capacity
The region has two EDs that primarily serve the West County area with an additional seven hospitals within the county that pa rtially serve the ED
visit needs of the West County and an additional eight hospitals that serve the fringe population needs of the West County.
Exhibit 3: Comparison of Emergency Departments
Comparison of Emergency Departments in Vicinity of Doctors Medical Center San Pablo
Hospital
Hospital
Licensed Beds
Intensive
Care Beds1
Med/Surg
Beds2 ED Visits
ED Treatment
Stations
ED Visits/
Station
West County
EMS Transports3
Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo 189 35 154 40,473 25 1,619 7,301
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Richmond 50 8 42 28,538 15 1,903 4,402
West County Total 239 43 196 69,011 40 1,725 11,703
Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo Share of Total 79.1%81.4%78.6%58.6%62.5%-62.4%
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center 166 8 91 70,850 20 3,543 2,139
John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek 4 330 24 201 45,463 32 1,421 263
John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus 5 254 15 229 43,737 26 1,682 N/A
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Walnut Creek 233 24 138 44,104 44 1,002 60
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Antioch 150 20 96 28,537 24 1,189 N/A
San Ramon Regional Medical Center 123 6 99 17,132 9 1,904 N/A
Sutter Delta Medical Center 145 12 107 52,658 32 1,646 N/A
County Total 1,640 152 1,157 371,492 227 1,637 14,165
Alameda County Med Center - Highland Campus 316 20 191 83,611 52 1,608 43
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Campus 347 16 146 42,492 22 1,931 1,031
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus-Hawthorne 337 24 301 39,468 30 1,316 87
Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland 190 23 111 55,498 37 1,500 219
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Oakland 341 30 221 45,273 30 1,509 117
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-Rehabilitation Center, Vallejo 287 9 160 44,164 26 1,699 262
Marin General Hospital 235 10 164 34,713 18 1,929 N/A
Sutter Solano Medical Center 111 12 60 34,416 21 1,639 42
1 Intensive Care Beds include all types except neonatal
2 Children's Hospital pediatric beds are reported here under the Med/Surg category
3 EMS transport data from Contra Costa EMS for 2010
4 John Muir Walnut Creek recently increased to 44 ED treatment stations and recently expanded to 572 licensed beds
5 John Muir Concord recently increased to 33 ED treatment stations
Sources: OSHPD Annual Utilization Reports 2009; Contra Costa EMS
West County
Other Contra Costa County
Outside Contra Costa County
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
The total 2009 ED visits for the two hospitals located in the West County was 67,756. When compared to the West County popula tion of 205,675,
this calculates to an ED utilization rate of 329.4 ED visits per 1,000 population. Available California and Contra Costa Coun ty utilization data show
an average ED utilization rate of 288 and 324 per 1,000, respectively. The calculated West County ED utilization rate may understate the utilization
rate in the West County due to some residents seeking care in non -West County EDs. Likewise the rate may also be overstated if there is a large
influx of employees who may use a West County ED during the d aytime but would not be reflected in the area’s population. Nonetheless, this ED
utilization rate appears to be higher than the state and the county.
DSP and Kaiser Medical Center Richmond have treatment space to patient utilization ratios of 1,619 and 1,903, respectively. Between both of
them, there are a total of 40 licensed ED treatment stations in the West County and an average of 1,725 ED visits for each treatment station. A
generally recognized national utilization rate is 1,600 patients per bed. Thu s, the West County does not appear to have enough capacity when
considering the number of ED treatment stations per volume of cases without considering the potential closure of DSP. Seasonal volume changes
would cause reoccurring peaks in demand and additional challenges getting seen in the West County EDs.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
ED Payer Mix
Using data provided through OSHPD, the ED payer mix for DSP is 14.4 percent Medicare, 16.2 percent Medi-Cal, 43.6 percent
HMO/PPO/Commercial/Workers Comp, and 24.4 percent Self Pay (e.g., no insurance). The Self Pay mix is nearly double the rate in many EDs
throughout the state.
Exhibit 4: Doctors San Pablo ED Payer Mix, 2011
Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo
Payer Visits
Percent of
Total
Medicare 1,216 14.4%
Medi-Cal/Managed Medi-Cal 1,370 16.2%
HMO/PPO/Commercial/Workers
Comp/Auto 3,677 43.6%
Self Pay (e.g., no insurance) 2,062 24.4%
Other (e.g., Tricare, other federal) 91 1.1%
Blank / Not Reported 20 0.2%
Total 8,436 100.0%
Source: OSHPD MIRCal Emergency Department Profile Reports
Emergency Department Visits by Expected Payer Source,
First Quarter 2011
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
ED Acuity
The acuity (or level of severity) of DSP ED patients can be estimated by considering their rate of admission to the hospital following treatment in
the ED. DSP has an ED patient admission rate of 12.9 percent, which is just slightly higher than the nation (12 .0 percent) and the state (12.5
percent.). Another marker is the ED patient acuity mix reported to the state. The following table demonstrates that DSP reports a similar acuity mix
to the county and state. In 2009, the greatest numbers of patients were classified as “Moderate" (49.7 percent), 22.1 percent were severe, and 5.4
percent were defined as critical. Comparable state and countywide data for 2009 are included in the table below. DSP treats more moderate and
fewer critical and non-urgent patients than their county and state counterparts.
Exhibit 5: Doctors San Pablo ED Acuity Mix, 2009
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
The median income levels of the cities in the West County are listed on the following table.
The following table provides historical ED volume growth for DSP from 2000 to 2009. While there has been rapid growth since t he year 2000, most
of this was due to the closure of Doctors Pinole. The growth rate for th e past three years (2007-2009) has been 3.6 percent. OSHPD data for 2004
indicated roughly half of the expected volume based on other years. This may be a result of reporting inconsistencies related to the transition from
Tenet back to the District's management in July 2004.
Exhibit 7: Doctors San Pablo ED Visits, 2000-2009
Exhibit 6: Median Household Incomes by City, 2009
City Median Income
El Cerrito 76,656$
Hercules 88,179$
Pinole 78,835$
Richmond 55,146$
San Pablo 46,007$
California 60,392$
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005-2009 5-year estimates
Median Household Incomes by City, 2009
20|
Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Impact
The following chart provides an estimate of driving time from DSP to hospitals in the same region. From a consumer standpoint , 15 minutes is
traditionally used as a marker for discretionary time to an ED. That is, a consumer will often be willing to drive 15 minutes farther (assuming they
have their own transportation) to obtain what might be perceived as more accessible ED care. While there is no published time for ambulance
bypass, up to 25 minutes was chosen by T he Abaris Group for this analysis.
The 15-minute private person (walk-in patient) parameter would therefore only include Kaiser -Richmond and Alta Bates Summit. Children’s
Hospital might draw more public utilization due to their specialty care. Alta Bates -Berkeley is just outside the calculated 15-minute driving time by 1
minute as is Kaiser Oakland. For the 25 -minute ambulance threshold, Kaiser Oakland, Highland, Kaiser Vallejo, Contra Costa Regional, and Sutter
Solano would all be added as potential subs titute ambulance destinations. Marin General and John Muir -Concord hospitals fall just outside the 25-
minute parameter by 2 minutes. These driving times will vary by time of day, unusual traffic congestion, construction, and type of transport (e.g.,
private car, public transportation); this may further impact what is an acceptable distance to reach another ED.
Exhibit 8: Estimated Travel Times from Doctors San Pablo to Nearby Hospitals
Travel Times from Doctors San Pablo to Nearby Hospitals
Hospital City Distance
Approx. Travel Time from
Doctors-SP (minutes)
Assumed
Average MPH
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Richmond Richmond 2.4 8 18
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Summit Campus Oakland 11.8 15 47
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Campus Berkeley 10.9 16 41
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Oakland Oakland 12.2 16 46
Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland Oakland 12.4 16 47
Alameda County Medical Center - Highland Hospital Oakland 14.4 19 45
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-Rehabilitation Center, Vallejo Vallejo 16.0 23 42
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Martinez 16.2 23 42
Sutter Solano Medical Center Vallejo 16.4 25 39
Marin General Hospital Greenbrae 17.3 27 38
John Muir Medical Center, Concord Concord 22 27 49
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Walnut Creek Walnut Creek 25.8 31 50
John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek Walnut Creek 26.4 34 47
Sutter Delta Medical Center Antioch 34.7 39 53
San Ramon Regional Medical Center San Ramon 36.4 43 51
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Antioch Antioch 38 46 50
Source: Google Maps, 2011
21|
Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
The following tables list ambulance traffic to DSP by city of origin. The largest source of ambulance patients is Richmond (3 ,530) followed by San
Pablo (1,817), Pinole (606), and El Cerrito (451). The remaining communities with ambulance originations are also listed.
Exhibit 9: Ambulance Volume to Doctors San Pablo, 2010
AMR Volume to Doctors San Pablo by City, 2010
City of Origin Count
Percent of
Total
Richmond 3,530 48.3%
San Pablo 1,817 24.8%
Pinole 606 8.3%
El Cerrito 451 6.2%
El Sobrante 343 4.7%
Hercules 264 3.6%
Rodeo 244 3.3%
Crockett 37 0.5%
Kensington 9 0.1%
Other 15 0.2%
Total 7,316 100.0%
Source: Contra Costa EMS Agency
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
The following table projects DSP ED potential volume growth until the year 2015. The ED volume projection assumes either that ED visit growth
occurs at the same pace as population (1.4 percent annually) or based on the past four years ED volume growth rate of 3.4 percent.
Exhibit 10: Doctors San Pablo ED Volume Projections, 2011-2015
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
The table on the following page lists the current ED volume at DSP and provides projections on the ED volu me at nearby EDs should the ED at DSP
close. The Abaris Group calculated current and projected future ED volume at DSP and then reallocated that volume for the par tial year for 2011
(assuming an August 1 closure date) and for the full year for remaining ye ars. Allocations were made based on the next closest ED using the home
zip code from data available of ED visits at DSP. This data includes ED walk -ins and ambulance traffic.
It was assumed that reasonable adjustments would be made by some of the public i n communities where the new commute distance to a farther
away but less impacted hospital would be short and therefore be deemed more accessible to the public in that community. This included patients
from El Cerrito using Alta Bates Berkeley and patients from Hercules/Rodeo using Solano County hospitals. No interventions were assumed (e.g.,
new EDs, new urgent care centers, increased ED capacity at adjacent EDs, extensive public education or marketing campaigns). Absent aggressive
and substantial interventions, it is not likely a substantial number of the public would use anything other than the next closest ED.
As the table demonstrates, the impact on Kaiser -Richmond would be dramatic. Kaiser-Richmond would experience an immediate 36 percent
increase in their ED visits during the remainder of 2011 and another 42 percent the following year (a 93 percent increase in just 16 month s). Using
the 1 bed per 1,600 visits guideline, Kaiser -Richmond would treat more than double that volume per treatment station – 3,924. Under these
circumstances, ambulance off-load times would become substantial and waiting times for walk-in patients would likely reach 10 - 12 hours. The
loss of ambulance unit hours to the 911 system would negatively impact response times significant ly or require additional unit hours costing easily
over a million dollars annually. The impact on other nearby EDs was projected to be nominal and thus bed utilization was not calculated.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Exhibit 11: DSP Closure Impact on ED Volume at Other Hospitals, 2011-2015
Hospital 2010 Pts/bed 20111 Pts/bed2 2012 Pts/bed 2013 Pts/bed 2014 Pts/bed 2015 Pts/bed
Doctors Medical Center, San Pablo 40,473 1,619 25,242 1,731
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Richmond 28,538 1,903 41,546 2,770 58,853 3,924 60,773 4,052 61,645 4,110 62,545 4,170
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center -1,265 3,129 3,236 3,346 3,460
John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek -58 143 148 153 158
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Walnut Creek ------
John Muir Medical Center, Concord -170 421 436 451 466
San Ramon Regional Medical Center ------
Sutter Delta Medical Center ------
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Antioch ------
Alameda County Med Center - Highland ------
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates -719 1,780 1,841 1,903 1,968
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Summit -158 391 404 418 432
Children's Hospital at Oakland 3 -964 2,385 2,466 2,550 2,637
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Oakland -114 283 292 302 313
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Vallejo -64 157 163 168 174
Marin General Hospital -3,450 8,536 8,826 9,126 9,437
Sutter Solano Medical Center -33 82 85 88 91
1. Assumes Doctors San Pablo closes ED on 8-01-11
2. Doctors San Pablo bed utilization for Jan - July 2011, Kaiser for August - December 2011
3. Assumes 5 percent of ED volume will go to Childrens-Oakland
Sources: Contra Costa County EMS Agency and The Abaris Group projections
Other Contra Costa County - New Volume Only
Outside Contra Costa County - New Volume Only
Note: All ED volumes assume 3.4 percent growth rate. New volume from transports calculated based on patterns seen during the 2006 DSP closure. New volume from walk-ins based on ED
patient zip code patterns from 2003.
Impact on ED Volume 2011 - 2015
West County - Total Volume
Hospital is closed effective August 1, 2011
25|
Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Ambulance Transports
A substantial impact on ambulance transports is anticipated should the ED at DSP close. During 2010, 7,316 ambulance patients were transported
to the DSP ED. For purposes of this scenario, The Abaris Group assumed that ambulances originating in Richmond, San Pablo, an d Pinole would be
transported to the closest ED, which would be Kaiser -Richmond. Ambulances originating in El Cerrito would be transported to one of the two Alta
Bates hospitals. Ambulances originating in Hercules, Crocket t, and surrounding region would be transported to Contra Costa Regional Medical
Center. A modest percentage of transports (5 percent) were assumed to be pediatric and thus transportable to Children’s Oakla nd from any
destination in the region.
This scenario does not contemplate the use of the EDs at hospitals farth er away. Traffic patterns and the capacity at the other hospitals might
dictate some transports to these facilities but the volume of calls would not have a material impact on the hospital. While i t is possible, it is not
likely that ambulances originating in this region would routinely be sent to Alameda County Highland Hospital, Kaiser Medical Center Vallejo, Sutter
Solano Medical Center, or Marin General Hospital due to perceived geographical or trade barriers.
The following tables demonstrate under th is scenario that Kaiser Richmond would see an immediate and dramatic impact on their ambulance
arrival volume, initially with an average of 11.9 ambulances per day and eventually growing to 13.6 per day by the year 2015. Other hospitals
would see a smaller impact. However, ambulance and walk-in patient saturation at Kaiser Richmond would increase the impact on the other EDs in
the region.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Exhibit 13: Annual Ambulance Impact if Doctors San Pablo ED Closes, 2011-2015
Baseline
Year Doctors San Pablo Kaiser Richmond Alta Bates Berkeley
Contra Costa Regional
Medical Center Alta Bates Summit Other
2010 7,316 - - - - -
20111 5,043 1,781 698 534 114 131
2012 - 4,481 1,756 1,344 287 329
2013 - 4,633 1,816 1,389 297 340
2014 - 4,791 1,877 1,437 307 352
2015 - 4,954 1,941 1,486 318 364
1. Partial year for DSP (January - July 2011)
Notes: New volume is based on ambulance arrivals patterns seen during DSP closure in 2006 and a 3.4% annual growth rate in ED visits
Annual Ambulance Impact - ED Closure at Doctors San Pablo
Annual Ambulance New Volume to Nearby Hospitals
Exhibit 12: Daily Range of Ambulance Arrivals Impact if Doctors San Pablo ED Closes, 2011-2015
Baseline Range
Year Doctors San Pablo Kaiser Richmond Alta Bates Berkeley
Contra Costa Regional
Medical Center Alta Bates Summit Other
2010 18.5-24.5 - - - - -
2011 16.8-22.8 9.9-13.9 3.7-5.7 2.6-4.6 0.0-1.8 0.0-1.9
2012 - 10.3-14.3 3.8-5.8 2.7-4.7 0.0-1.8 0.0-1.9
2013 - 10.7-14.7 4.0-6.0 2.8-4.8 0.0-1.8 0.0-1.9
2014 - 11.1-15.1 4.1-6.1 2.9-4.9 0.0-1.8 0.0-2.0
2015 - 11.6-15.6 4.3-6.3 3.1-5.1 0.0-1.9 0.0-2.0
Source: Contra Costa EMS Agency, 2011
Notes: Daily average ranges for new ambulance arrivals are based on ambulance arrivals patterns seen during DSP closure in 2006 and a 3.4% annual growth rate in ED visits
Daily Ambulance Impact Range- ED Closure at Doctors San Pablo
Daily Range New Ambulance Arrivals
27|
Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Hospital Beds
DSP data on ED arrivals and admissions as well as admission location were obtaine d through 2009 OSHPD records. The Abaris Group used the
number of DSP admissions from the ED to calculate the average number of med/surg and ICU beds needed to manage the current number of ED
admissions should DSP close. The bed impact was calculated by ta king the hospital ED admissions by unit (i.e., med/surg, ICU, and telemetry),
multiplying these admissions by the estimated length of stay to obtain total patient days , and then dividing these patient days by 365 days.
The bed utilization by unit is a daily average. However, admissions do not occur in an “average” manner . They vary based on peak admission
periods (e.g., November – February) that can drive substantially higher inpatient bed demand during these periods than the averages demonstrate.
Exhibit 14: Doctors San Pablo ED Patient Disposition Array
Doctors Medical Center San Pablo - ED Patient Disposition
ED Visits by Disposition Number Percentage
Admissions 5,204 12.9%
Discharges 35,269 87.1%
Total 40,473 100.0%
Med/Surg 2,298 44.1%
Telemetry 1,407 27.0%
ICU 1,178 22.6%
Other 322 6.2%
Total 5,204 100.0%
Bed Utilization Length of Stay Bed Impact/Day
Med/Surg 4.2 26.4
Telemetry 2.0 7.7
ICU 15.3 49.4
Source: OSHPD Annual Utilization Report, 2009
Med/Surg & ICU LOS estimated from hospital OSHPD data
Telemetry LOS estimated from The Abaris Group databank
28|
Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
To determine available beds, The Abaris Group used current licensed beds and current admission volumes for nearby hospitals t hat would likely be
impacted by an ED closure at DSP. The table on the following page provides this data using OSHPD reports for calendar year 2009.
The Abaris Group used national benchmarks to obtain a determination of “full.” The Healthcare Advisory Board suggests that a hospital’s acute
care (or medical/surgical) bed capacity is at full capacity when total utilizat ion reaches 85 percent. The Abaris Group defined critical care (or ICU)
bed capacity full at 65 percent.
This following table demonstrates that five of the six hospitals (83 percent) are above capacity for ICU beds. The Abaris Gro up describes this
capacity as theoretical as the actual available capacity in these neighboring hospitals may be overstated as often a hospital has l ess capacity than
their license capacity due to beds being placed out of service or beds that are not staffed. The region serving t he West County already exceeds the
65 percent threshold for ICU occupancy without any loss of ICU beds from DSP. Without the latter, the West County ICU bed occ upancy would
reach 84.7 percent. Again, licensed status of ICU beds in not always a reflection o f available beds; the actual capacity could be less. A further
concern may be that the current non-ED critical care admissions at DSP might pre-empt the use of these ICU beds at these other hospitals due to
medical staff admission practices.
The two hospitals with the lowest theoretical med/surg occupancy rate and thus a theoretical option for absorbing DSP inpatient admissions are
Alta Bates Oakland and Kaiser-Richmond, which are at a current med/surg occupancy of 55.2 and 60.8 percent, respectively. However, Kaiser-
Richmond has a very small capacity overall (licensed at 42 med/surg beds) and The Abaris Group calculated that it could only handle on average an
additional 2.7 new admissions per day before hitting the 85 percent occupancy level. This is far l ess than the 16.3 per day needed to support the
new volume from DSP.
The remaining med/surge admissions would have to be distributed to neighboring hospitals inside and outside of Contra Costa C ounty. However,
this calculation does not take into account the current growing demand at these existing hospitals and their ability to staff these beds nor would it
necessary assure that unused beds would be placed into service. In addition, ED admissions at DSP only account for approximat ely 83 percent of
the hospital’s admissions with the remaining admissions potentially pre -empting admissions at nearby hospitals making the calculated ED
admission space unavailable.
29|
Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
Exhibit 15: Beds and Utilization at Area Hospitals, 2009
Hospital Beds and Utilization, 2009
Available Patient Number of Length of Occupancy
Hospital Beds Bed Days Days Admissions Stay Rate
Doctors Medical Center San Pablo
Med/Surg 154 56,210 24,940 5,942 4.2 44.4%
ICU 35 12,775 5,365 351 15.3 42.0%
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Richmond
Med/Surg 42 15,330 9,327 2,483 3.8 60.8%
ICU 8 2,920 2,194 130 16.9 75.1%
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Campus
Med/Surg 146 53,290 38,711 8,756 4.4 72.6%
ICU 30 10,950 5,802 366 15.9 53.0%
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Hawthorne Campus
Med/Surg 301 109,865 60,642 13,399 4.5 55.2%
ICU 36 13,140 10,386 330 31.5 79.0%
Children's Hospital and Research Center at Oakland
Med/Surg (Pediatric)111 40,515 37,164 9,355 4.0 91.7%
ICU 23 8,395 6,755 689 9.8 80.5%
Sutter Solano Medical Center
Med/Surg 60 21,900 13,601 3,535 3.8 62.1%
ICU 12 4,380 3,439 283 12.2 78.5%
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Rehabilitation Center Vallejo
Med/Surg 160 58,400 44,459 10,148 4.4 76.1%
ICU 19 6,935 5,612 290 19.4 80.9%
Total Hospital Beds including Doctors San Pablo
Med/Surg 974 355,510 228,844 53,618 4.3 64.4%
ICU 163 59,495 39,553 2,439 16.2 66.5%
Total Hospital Beds without Doctors San Pablo
Med/Surg 820 299,300 228,844 53,618 4.3 76.5%
ICU 128 46,720 39,553 2,439 16.2 84.7%
Source: OSHPD, Annual Utilization Reports, 2009
Note: ICU includes Coronary Care Units where applicable (Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Campus and Kaiser Foundation Hospital -
Rehabilitation Center Vallejo)
30|
Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
EMS System/Major Emergencies
As indicated previously, the negative impact on the ambulance delivery system would likely be substantial if the ED were to close altogether.
AMR provided 59,847 ambulance transports countywide during 2010. The West County contributed to 16,127 of these transports, o r 27 percent.
The number transported to DSP in 20 10 was 7,316 (or 12.2 percent of total county transports).
AMR will experience longer transport times to farther EDs and additional time returning to their service area. AMR’s contract calls for a
performance standard of an 11:45 response with 90 percent compliance (10:00 for Richmond due to no ALS first response). For AMR to maintain
that performance standard they will be required to add ambulances to compensate for the longer transport times.
During the 2004 report, the number of West County unit hours (number of ambulances on duty per hour) was 852 per week. To continue to meet
the county contract performance standard, AMR calculated that it would take more than 300 unit hours per week for a total number of 1,189 unit
hours per week for the West County. This would most likely exceed $2 million annually. Any new cost would only be offset by a small amount of
new revenue by charging for each mile. There would likely be a shortfall in revenue to offset these costs. Increasing rates would most likely offer
only a marginal return and more creative approaches to cost control and the EMS system may be required. Examples may include allowing
ambulances to transport low acuity patients to clinics instead of EDs (which would require a change in state law) and a more sophisticated 9-1-1
call screening and triage protocol (e.g., nurse triage) to reduce the total number of ambulance requests.
There are additional concerns. First, higher ED volume at Kaiser Richmond or other facilities could lead to extended off -load times for EMS,
resulting in additional costs. Second, a current industry challenge is paramedic recruitment with the EMS industry experienci ng a significant
shortage similar to the nursing crisis. Third, the current fire and ambulance delivery plan for Co ntra Costa County assumes some cost savings
countywide and the reduction of AMR resources helps fund the fire advanced life support (ALS) first response program. While no cost savings
were projected from the West County to support this plan, adding new re sources was also not anticipated and this may have an unexpected
consequence on the overall countywide plan.
Another possible consequence is first responder impact. On occasion, a fire first responder will assist the ambulance by ridi ng to the hospital to
support the care of a more complicated patient. One fire department told The Abaris Group during the 2004 report that they us e a 20-minute total
call for a unit to return to service. The impact today of this present resource use is minimal but this could change if ambulances are transporting to
more distant EDs and the fire first responders are out of service for a longer period of time than 20 minutes. There would be an unspecified
potential impact on the air medical providers in the region that may be requested to transport a higher number of patients.
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Contra Costa County – West County EMS, ED, & Critical Care Access Study
In addition, a reduction of resources at DSP would have a significant impact on the availability of health care in the event of a major emergency for
the West County. Such major emergencies are not unhear d of. The oil refineries have had two such events in the past 15 years, one of which led to
3,000 patients being treated at local EDs in a single day. The area is also prone to earthquakes, flooding, and major vehicle crashes; because of the
boundaries (e.g., water, Berkeley Hills) that frame the region, there is likely to be limited access to other regional emergency providers during a
major emergency.
5390 Stonehurst Drive, Martinez, CA 94553
Tel: (925) 933-0911 Fax: (925) 946-0911
abarisgroup.com
Doctor’s San Pablo
Closure Impact Analysis and
Contingency Planning
Pat Frost, EMS Director
William Walker, Director Health Services
Contra Costa County Health Services
Doctor’s San Pablo
Utilization Snapshot 2013
Active Beds
171 Total
83 Medical/Surgical
24 ICU beds
25 ED Stations
ED volume
41,903 ED visits
29% or an average of 33 patients per
day meet Severe or Critical condition
criteria
Treat and Release and ED Admit Rate
T&R: Walk-in 92 %
T&R: Ambulance 69%
DSP ED Admit rate 10.5%
Kaiser-R ED admit rate 4.69%
Overview: EMS/Med/Health Analysis
Health System Situational Awareness
Local and Regional Redistribution of > 44,000 patients/year
Increase in CCEMS ambulance resources required (up to 30%)
Public Health Emergency Incident Level 2 coordination required
Estimated redistribution of approximately 12,000 EMS transports/year
22 transport per day (DSP portion)
Situational redistribution of Kaiser portion of EMS transports (14/day)
Regional ICU and Med/Surg Bed Capacity increased since 2011
Added 38 ICU beds since 2009
Added 297 beds Contra Costa & 324 beds in Alameda
Likely Scenario: ED/EMS System Surges
120 additional patients per day (includes EMS)
Extended ED walk in and EMS wait times
Increased destination time for cross county and out-of-county destinations
Field on-scene ambulance delays up to 15-20 minutes during peak periods
Increased needs for Rapid Intra-facility Transfer
Reduced capability to respond to expanded events without rapid mutual aide
Current Demographics: West County
Current Transport Destinations
Stable Non-Emergent Conditions
Largest EMS Transport Volume
Travel Times to Nearby Hospitals
20-25 minutes longer destination times
EMS-ED Patient Transfer Times (Normal Conditions)
Average 15-20 minutes
EMS wait times at out-of-county facilities will delay return to service
Hospital
2013
Average
(minutes)
90% ( in minutes)
Handoff exceeds
this time in 10% of
patients
Annual
EMS
Volume
Daily EMS
volume
Doctors San Pablo 9-13 21 7,994 22
Kaiser Richmond 7-8 13.3 5,147 14
John Muir Concord 7-8 10.8 8,041 22
CCRMC 10-12 23.2 10,565 29
Sutter Delta Antioch 11-15 29 8,100 22
John Muir Walnut Creek 7-8 11.9 7,708 21
Kaiser Walnut Creek 7-8 12 5,836 16
Kaiser Antioch 8-9 14 4,886 14
All Hospitals (includes San
Ramon Regional not listed)
9-10 n/a 60,363 165
WEST CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
CARDIAC ARRESTS – TRANSPORTED VIA EMS
High Performance CPR Protocol and if ROSC
Redistribute to STEMI (aka Cardiac Arrest) Centers
2011 2012 2013
DOCTOR’S MEDICAL 72 93 78
PATIENTS DISCHARGED 8 14 8
KAISER RICHMOND 33 34 24
PATIENTS DISCHARGED 7 2 0
Data Source: Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES 2011-2013)
EMS/Ambulance Utilization
STEMI & Stroke System
Plan: Redistribute to Next Closest
8053 EMS Transports
61% of West County EMS traffic
68% EMS Transports involve Richmond
and San Pablo Residents
Intra-facility Non-EMS Transport
Transports from ED: 952
Critical Care Transport: 136
Closest Stroke Centers
Alta Bates, Summit, KP-Oakland, KP-
Vallejo, Marin General
JMMC-Concord, KP-Walnut Creek
Closest STEMI Centers
JMMC-Concord
Marin General, Alta Bates Summit,
Highland, K-Vallejo
DSP-EMS STEMI Receiving
Center Transports
Next closest 15-27
minutes away
STEMI
100% of West County
EMS: 70-78 per year
Elective + Walk-in (2012)
546 cardiac procedures
EMS-DSP Stroke: Serves
50% of West County Stroke
(2013)
127 Neuro/CVA Suspect
87 EMS Stroke Criteria Met
Trauma Center Activations
EMS & Patient Impact: Minimal
Trauma Plan Supports Current Destinations
2011 2012 2013
EL CERRITO 14 23 19
EL SOBRANTE 13 17 17
HERCULES 9 26 14
KENSINGTON 1 1
NORTH RICHMOND 45 57 45
PINOLE 29 21 23
RICHMOND 97 102 128
RODEO 11 15 12
SAN PABLO 61 52 49
Grand Total 279 314 308
Total number of Trauma Activations by city for the years 2011-2013. This information is from the Trauma Registry.
Skilled Nursing Facilities
EMS and Patient Impact: Minimal
Outreach & Redistribute
11.8 % of DSP ED
admissions from SNF’s or
residential care facilities
(OSHPD 2010)
Greenridge Senior Care
Creekside Healthcare Center
Vale Health Care Center
Vintage Estates of Richmond
Shields/Richmond Nursing
Center
Shields Nursing Center
San Pablo Healthcare and
Wellness Center
Regional Bed Capacity: Up since 2011 Study
2009 Acute Care Beds
ICU Beds
includes CCU ED Stations
Contra Costa 1,597 179 227
Alameda 3,122 303 314
Marin 445 30 42
Solano 633 69 107
Total 5,797 581 690
2012 Acute Care Beds
ICU Beds
includes CCU ED Stations
Contra Costa 1,894 203 267
Alameda 3,446 327 336
Marin 441 30 46
Solano 594 74 112
Total 6,375 634 761
Impact of Closure Acute Care Beds
ICU Beds
includes CCU ED Stations
Contra Costa 1,723 180 242
Alameda 3,446 327 336
Marin 441 30 46
Solano 594 74 112
Total 6,204 611 736
Other Facilities: ED Impacts
ED/Hospital Surge Conditions
Intermittent and Sustained
Minor, Moderate, Severe
Long transports
15-27 minutes longer
Cross county and Multi-county
2-3 fold increase in intra-facility transfers
Secondary to Walk-in Acuity
Higher Acuity
Potential increase in mortality and morbidity
Patient Safety Risks
EMS/ED staffing and fatigue
Mismatches in definitive care
Patients Affected
Prolonged walk in ED wait times 10-12 hours
Patient-EMS offload times 5-9 fold increase
Separated from family and support networks
Undefined Ambulatory & Urgent Care Access
Low Acuity Walk-In Access Alternatives
West County Health Care Centers
Low Acuity ED Volume:
15,000 to 20,000
41-55 patients per day
Clinics
North Richmond for Health
Planned Parenthood (3)
Brookside Community Health
West County Health Center
Kaiser Pinole Medical Offices
RotaCare Richmond Free Clinic
Brookside Community Health
Opportunity: Redistribute to
ambulatory care settings
Barriers
Afterhours availability
Community Utilization Practices
Summary: Losing Critical Infrastructure
Public Health Emergency
Significant Regional Impacts
Increased EMS system utilization
Richmond and San Pablo Patients most
affected
Increase Walk-ins: Alameda, Kaiser-R,
Ambulatory planning needed
Community Impacts Undefined
Walk-in ED flow unknown
Dialysis, SNFs, Homeless Centers
Outreach and Joint Communication
Incident Action Plan Strategy
Regional EMS & County Walk-In Plan in Place
Activate Command Centers
Pre-closure & Acute Phase
Ambulatory/Urgent Care Planning
Coordinated Regional Approach
EMS
Hospitals
RDMHS
Coordinated Communications
Regional JIC
All Hospital PIOs
Daily Operations
Conference Calls
Situational Management