SAN LEANDRO HOSPITALEden Township Healthcare District Chair Carole Rogers is going on the offensive, again. In a press release late Monday night, the boardmember at the forefront in attempting to maintain the emergency room at San Leandro Hospital, took a jab recent remarks made by former member Dr. Francisco Rico. Over the weekend, Rico posted comments on The Citizen, including a frequent opinion made by him and another current member Dr. Rajendra Ratnesar, that residents outside the healthcare district care little about the fate of the hospital. Here’s the statement:
We have heard from the San Leandro community as well as residents of surrounding areas – when you expressed yourselves at numerous public hearings – that you want to keep San Leandro Hospital open as a 24/7 emergency room and acute care hospital.
Dr. Frank Rico stated in a recent post in the East Bay Citizen: “It is an assumption on your part that an overwhelming number of residents oppose Sutter’s plans. Realize that the District encompasses all of Hayward, Castro Valley, Union City as well as San Lorenzo and San Leandro. Most of those citizens do not use SLH. The opposition has been from a vociferous minority that is localized mostly in San Leandro.”
The Board of Directors of Eden Township Healthcare District invite the “vociferous minority” from all areas of the District to participate in a Candlelight Vigil on March 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the San Leandro Hospital – Medical Arts Building parking lot to “Save San Leandro Hospital.” Music, food, speakers and candles will be provided.
Even if you live outside of the San Leandro Hospital area, please attend. The closure of the hospital’s emergency room with 20,000 visits per year will severely impact the ER services of surrounding hospitals and claim lives.
If you can’t attend, write a letter to the Eden Township Healthcare District, 20410 Lake Chabot Road, Castro Valley, CA 94546 or email me Carole.rogers@ethd.org and make your wishes known. We cannot allow Sutter Health and Alameda County to close our community hospital and need your show of support now.
Carole Rogers, RN
Chairperson
Eden Township Healthcare District
To read more of Rico’s conversation with a supporter of keeping San Leandro Hospital open, click here.
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Residents of the district are aghast when they hear that the new hospital is approximately 50 beds smaller. If San Leandro Hospital's ER closes that will leave only 3 remaining ER to handle all the emergencies. All the ER's are currently impacted and often go on divert for one reason or another.
The chairperson of the district, Carole, has every right to ask for Dr. Ratnesar's resignation! He is out of touch with reality and the needs of the district. He had a blatant conflict of interest, as did Dr. Rico and George Bischaleny, when the MOU was signed. Dr. Ratnesar even signed the document outlining the district's code concerning conflict of interest, so he was well aware of what he was doing.
The district needs more board members like Carole Rogers who will stand up and fight for what is right!
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Holding a rally, even if it is well attended tells us nothing about the position taken by citizens across the whole district. Attendees are a self selected group of people who agree. Short of an election or a scientifically conducted poll, we have no way of knowing the sentiments of the community at large. My statement was not intended as a statement of fact but merely my opinion. Since I am no longer on the District Board I don't have to worry about Carole demanding my resignation because I disagree with her.
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