HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11062001 - SD.1 / 1
TOS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ,��-s--.-L -.oma
Contra
FROM: Family and Human Services Committee Y ,`
Supervisor Mark De Saulnier, Chair 8 -:ii6A, ;s Costa
Supervisor Federal Glover, Member - _ - yk°
°STA COUK� � county
DATE: Tuesday, October 23, 2001
SUBJECT: Position of the Board of Supervisors on the proposed closure of the Mount
Diablo Birthing Center and related services
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
1. AFFIRM the Board of Supervisors' position that the closure of the Mt. Diablo Birthing
Center and related services would have a significant negative impact on the health of
the community of Contra Costa County and surrounding regions.
2. DIRECT the County Administrator, together with the Chair of the Board of Supervisors,
to initiate correspondence with the State Attorney General's office requesting
expediency in the determination of the applicability of charitable trust regulations to this
issue, so that this opinion is available before the scheduled closure on October 29,
2001.
3. DIRECT the County Administrator to initiate a subsequent correspondence with John
Muir / Mt. Diablo Health System reiterating the Board's position in this matter and
requesting an immediate response.
BACKGROUND:
After a 1996 voter approved merger, Mt. Diablo Medical Center combined services with
John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek in 1997. Unlike Mt. Diablo Medical Center,
John Muir does not have a Medi-Cal contract and only serves Medi-Cal patients in certain
trauma related situations. Mt. Diablo's obstetric unit is the only health care facility of this
type in the Concord area, which serves both Central and East County.
On May 22, 2001 the Board of Supervisors recognized and acknowledged that the closure
or movement of the Mt. Diablo Medical Center Obstetrics Unit to John Muir Medical Center
would be a great loss and inconvenience to the patients of Contra Costa County.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNA, RE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTION OF BOARD ON DL'TQ/4,r1APPROVE AS RECOMMENDED _ -^�
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT 1✓6fh Z ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE
AYES: NOES: SHOWN.
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ,,I
ATTESTED
CONTACT: JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
CC: Dorothy Sansoe,CAO
Vickie Dawes,County Counsel
William Walker,M.D.,HSD
/BYA:I- DEPUTY
1
- 2_ -
After several depositions and court hearings, the closure of the Mt. Diablo Birthing Center was
delayed to October 29, 2001. The closure may violate Health and Safety Code Section 32121,
requiring John Muir System to "operate and maintain Mt. Diablo's assets and facilities for the
benefit of -the Mt. Diablo community." The Mt. Diablo Hospital currently handles 47,000
emergency visits per year. The standard of care that requires the maintenance of OB/GYN
and pediatrics units is 43,000 visits. The Mt. Diablo Health District Board states that this
standard of care will be violated if the Birthing Center is closed. Comparably, sixty-six of sixty-
eight other health systems of similar size operate OB/ GYN units.
The proposed closure will export valuable skills and human resources for specialty services
and may impact emergency room services overall. The scope of this impact is yet unknown.
On May 22, 2001 the Board directed Health Services to evaluate the possible financial impact
of this decision on the County's ability to provide health care to potential patients of this facility.
Health Services since then has determined that many contingent factors make a financial'
evaluation difficult. However, a significant amount of John Muir / Mt. Diablo Health System's
services is paid for by the County. Mt. Diablo Medical Center receives $1,771,667 annually for
hospital and mental health services, John Muir Medical Center receives $669,167 for hospital
services and perinatal outreach education.
The Board also designated John Muir Medical Center as a trauma center. Currently, Health
Services is in the process of determining how the closing of Mt. Diablo Birthing Center would
impact the deliverables under the service agreement with John Muir to be a designated trauma
center.