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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 03111997 - U1 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FRAM. SUPERVISOR DONNA GERBER 8( ,s Costa County DATE: ��s>a co---- March 10, 1997 SUBJECT: ANNOUNCED CLOSING OF KAISER MARTINEZ HOSPITAL SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. EXPRESS the concern of the Board of Supervisors for the adequacy of emergency medical care being provided to Kaiser patients in the Martinez area inview of the announced plans of Kaiser to close its Martinez Hospital facility and downgrade its emergency room facility so that it is unable to provide intensive care to patients. 2. AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to send a letter to Kaiser Permanente, the State Department of Health Services and the State Department of Corporations, expressing the Board's concern about the downgrading of Kaiser's Martinez hospital facility and about the quality of care which may be provided to Kaiser patients in the future in the Martinez area; and ASK that Kaiser delay the closure of the Martinez hospital facility until a study has been conducted of the similar downgrading of the Kaiser Richmond facility and its impact on the quality and availability of emergency health care in the Richmond area. 3. REQUEST the State Department of Corporations to investigate the appropriateness of California HMO's which have hospital facilities closing or eliminating Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Emergency Room (ER) services in facilities which attract their members but which cannot provide necessary emergency services. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OMMENDATION OF OARD COMMITTEE ' APPROVE O HER SIGNATURES ACTION OF BOARD ON Marsh 11, 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER X Please See Addendum (Attached) for a list of.speakers and Board Action. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: ATTESTED March 11 1997 Supervisors PHI H R,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF UPE AND COU TY ADM1N1 OR County Administrator Health Services Director M382 (10/88) Bob Ei senman, Kaiser BY D PUT Stephanie Brown Fehum, CNA Kay McVay, CNA U 4. In the letter to the State Department of Health Services, REQUEST that the State Health Department investigate the adequacy of having one acute care facility (Walnut Creek) in Contra Costa County to provide emergency and ICU services for over 300,000 Contra Costa Kaiser members. 5. REQUEST the County Health Services Director to report to the Board of Supervisors on the alternative arrangements which have been made to provide appropriate emergency medical care and transport for patients in need of this level of care from the Kaiser Martinez hospital facility. 6. REQUEST the Health Service Director to report to the Board of Supervisors on arrangements which have been made to care for patients in West County who require intensive care and who may present themselves at the Richmond Kaiser facility. BACKGROUND: The media recently reported that Kaiser Permanente is closing its Martinez hospital facility on March 24, shifting patient care to its Walnut Creek facility and downgrading the Martinez emergency room to standby status. In view of the reported problems which have occurred in the Kaiser Richmond facility recently as a result of a similar downgrading in the status of its emergency room, in which two individuals have allegedly died because of the lack of an intensive care unit at the Kaiser facility, there is great concern about the announced decision of Kaiser to make a similar move in regard to the Martinez facility. We recognize that the County has no jurisdiction over any aspect of Kaiser's .decision, except as it relates to the operation of its emergency room. However, we are concerned about the possibility that additional patients may show up at Kaiser Martinez' emergency room, expecting to receive intensive care if required and not realizing that such care is not available at that hospital. We believe it is important that the Health Services Director and the Board of Supervisors be satisfied that the level of emergency medical care being provided by Kaiser at its facilities in Contra Costa County is adequate and appropriate for the type of facilities in which they are housed. We are, therefore, asking for the reports requested above and are asking that the letter outlined above be sent by the Board. -2- U.1 Item U.1 March 11, 1997 ADDENDUM Supervisor Gerber requested that this matter be introduced as an Urgency Item and the Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to consider this matter as an exception to the Better Government Ordinance. Chairman DeSaulnier invited the public to comment on the issues and the following persons spoke: Bob Eisenman, Ph.D., Director of External Affairs, North East Bay, Kaiser Permanente, 1425 South Main Street, Walnut Creek; Stephanie Brown Fehum, Labor Representative, California Nurses Association, 1100 Eleventh Street, Suite 200, Sacramento; and Kay McVay, R.N., California Nurses Association, 3644 Ranchford Court, Concord. All persons desiring to speak having been heard, Chairman DeSaulnier concluded public comment on the matter. The Board members discussed the issues and took the following action: 1. APPROVED recommendations Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 as presented by Supervisor Gerber (Attached) regarding the announced closure and downgrade plans for the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Martinez; 2. APPROVED recommendation No. 3, as amended, to REQUEST the State Department of Corporations to investigate the appropriateness of Contra Costa County HMO's which have hospital facilities closing or eliminating Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Emergency Room (ER) services in facilities which attract their members but which may not be able to provide necessary emergency services; and 3. REQUESTED that a Kaiser representative inform the Board of Supervisors of the investigation results regarding the recent fatality relative to Kaiser's Richmond facility closure. cc: Supervisors County Administrator Health Services Director Bob Eisenman, Kaiser Stephanie Brown Fehum, CNA Kay McVay, CNA APR-14-1997 11:43 HEALTH SERVICES-ADMIN 510 370 5099 P.02i02 Vit • 2425 SISSO LANE,SUITE 110 CONTRA COSTA COUNTY CONCORD.CALIFORNIA 84520-4817 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS (510)646-5763 RECEIVED (510)646-5767(FAX) .0 APR 1 41997 MARK DESAULNIER SUPERVISOR,DISTRICT N CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CLAYTON.CLYM,CONCORD,PACHEW.PLEASMIT HILL CONTRA COSTA CO. March 21 , 1997 Bob Eisenman, Ph.D. Kaiser Permanente Administration -- 1425 South Main Street Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Dear Dr. Eisenman: The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors wishes to express its concern regarding the proposed closing of the Kaiser Martinez Hospital and downgrading of the emergency facility. We understand that Kaiser has committed to keeping the Intensive Care Unit open for a number of weeks. However, we are concerned about what happens when the unit closes. Closing the unit will effectively render the facility unable to provide intensive care for patients. We are particularly troubled in view of the reported problems which occurred as a result of similar downgrading in the status of the Emergency Department at Kaiser Richmond. We recognize that the county's jurisdiction over Kaiser's decision to close the Martinez facility is limited to the Emergency Department's operations. However, we are concerned about the possibility that patients may present to the Kaiser Martinez Emergency Department expecting to receive intensive care (if required) but not realizing that this care is not available. We believe it is important for this Board to be satisfied that the level of emergency care provided by Kaiser facilities in Contra Costa County is adequate and appropriate for the type of facilities in which they are housed and that the public is aware and informed of the services provided. In light of these concerns, the Board is requesting that you delay the closure of the Martinez Hospital Emergency Department until a study has been conducted of the similar downgrading of the Kaiser Richmond facility and its impact on the quality and availability of emergency health care in Richmond. Sincerely, Mark DeSaulnier MD:ksm cc: Keith Paul Bishop, Commissioner, Department of Corporations Kim Belshe, Director, California Department of Health Services Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Members, Board of Supervisors TOTAL P.02 r 000 001411 I.AISCR PEanAAMwrE Bob Eisenman,Ph.D. Director,External Affairs Nod East Bay Kaiser Permanente I 1425 South Main Street (510)295-5625 I Walnut Creek,California 94596 Fax(510)295-4689