SAN LEANDRO HOSPITAL
April 23 2012 | Members of the Eden Township Healthcare District say a letter offering title to San Leandro Hospital to Sutter Health is in the mail.
Carole Rogers, the chair of the Eden Township Healthcare District, told a large group of residents and nurses gathered for a San Leandro City Council committee hearing regarding the future of the facility, that title to the hospital was offered to Sutter in a letter sent today.
The CEO of the District, Dev Mahadevan added the correspondence says they are “willing to promptly turn over title” to San Leandro Hospital. An agreement the District made nearly two years ago with an arbitrator called for transfer of title once its lawsuit with Sutter was completed, said Mahadevan. After the recent state supreme court decision to not hear their case, not doing so, he said, would find the District in noncompliance. An agreement over legal fees owed by the District to Sutter have also not been discussed, said Mahadevan.
Beside today’s letter, Rogers says there has been no contact between the District and Sutter. She told the group, though, once title is transferred, Sutter will likely file to close the facility in the next 90 days. Sutter has not made an official announcement on its plans for the hospital, although, Alameda County Health Care Services Director Alex Briscoe cautioned a distinction should be made between closing the facility entirely and merely shuttering its emergency room.
Alameda County Medical Center (ACMC) CEO Wright Lassiter said his organization is also not currently in communication with Sutter, but reiterated that they maintain interest in running San Leandro Hospital as an acute rehabilitation facility or “hybrid model” containing a host of small scale services. The proposal is nearly identical to a controversial lease agreement between Sutter and ACMC—since expired–that in many ways precipitated anger and distrust from the community toward each group.
Lassiter said ACMC’s prior deal with Sutter was based on the belief San Leandro Hospital’s financial condition would eventually force it to close and allow for acute rehab services offered at nearby Fairmont Hospital to be moved to San Leandro Hospital. Fairmont’s longevity is limited by state-mandated seismic improvement long ago deemed financially unfeasible. “We are very interested in operating the facility,” said Lassiter, although he was less clear about what type of hospital it would hopefully operate. “We never said we want to close San Leandro Hospital,” he said and noted the closure of its emergency room would be “less than ideal” for its own interests at Highland Hospital in Oakland. Yet, mistrust still endures.
Mike Brannan, a labor representative for the California Nurses Association, and other hospital personnel pressed Lassiter on whether another back door deal is being hammered out between ACMC and Sutter. “There’s no agreement,” said Lassiter. “It’s at Sutter’s discretion, not ours,” he told the labor rep. “You’re presuming there’s something I’m not telling you.”
The lack of public transparency has been a hallmark of the nearly three-year-old battle to save San Leandro Hospital. Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan agreed transparency has been an issue. San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy said any potential deal should include community engagement before, not after, a deal is consummated and not a situation where the two parties, in effect, tell the community, “take it if you want it or not.”
Carole Rogers, who has long been a thorn in Sutter’s side, asked county officials to explore their own joint powers agreement, similar to the plan approved by the Board of Supervisors last week, that would align Alameda County, the City of San Leandro and the District in saving San Leandro Hospital. “To lose that hospital would be criminal,” said Lisa LaFave, a registered nurses at the hospital. But, when it comes to the tenuous balance between cost-effectiveness and saving lives, the addition of ACMC for maintaining the current menu of services at San Leandro Hospital could put the entire health care system in danger, said Briscoe. “I cannot take a risk to sustain San Leandro Hospital.”
ebcitizen.com 
Anonymous 12:52,
Those elected officials you call mediocre doctors HAVE, along with Rogera, saved the ER from the closure Sutter intended to execute over two and a half years ago.
When you got nothing, fling that mud!
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OK guess its time for basic education, so lets see where should I start, lets go to TS first, well Tony I hate to burst your bubble but you were wrong again, I do not belong to the nurses union, I am however an employee at SLH so again you are reporting wrong info to the idiots who listen to you and Carol Rogers does not work here either, she is also an elected board member of ETHD, you know what elections are I am sure, you just lost in one, and I would bet the nurses would like to work at the hospital you say they make $140.000 a year at I dont know who has been feeding you this info but I think you should check these things out before you open your pie hole, and where do you come up with business that the monies that ETHD has or spends is what you call our money, do you have any idea where ETHD gets its monies, I dont remember ever seeing you at any of the monthly meetings of the ETHD so I hope I have helped enlighten you a little Tony, and now for the poster of april 26 @ 7:24 am, if you also had attended some of the meetings held monthly by ETHD you would also learn a few things Carol was as has always been a strong advocate of keeping the hospital open and I had never once heard her say it had anything to do with the CNA, like I had stated once before, I have known Carol for 13 years and she is one of the most caring and compassionate people I have known, and for those of you that dont know, Carol does not work here at SLH but she does care for the people of this community as apparantly you dont. Now let me say this about Sutter, I have no problem with them as an employer, as a matter of fact I have been treated pretty good as one of their employees, I make a livable wage, and have some good benefits, especially medical benefits some of you know I had a heart attack several years ago I came to SLH ER where I was stabilized and then went to Summit for a 4 way bypass, now you probably must realize this is expensive, well our insurance through the hospital really was a blessing, my wife has had several hospital stays here at SLH so I do have to be thankful to Sutter for that, but I dont have to agree with everything that Sutter does, I feel they are going to hurt a lot of people ( not just employees ) who depend on this hospital and ER. So while I may find them to be a good employer I also find them to be wrong if they should close the hospital and the ER. So Steve I guess its time for a sequel to PAPA JOHNS STORY, I also hope that Tony and the others who delight in the thought of the hospital closing would check out what they are saying before saying it, and lastly, the above poster, let me tell you I would put my life in the hands of your so called mediocre doctors any day of the week because again you just dont know what the hell your talking about, the load of crap seems to be coming out of the mouth of a large anal orifice under your very nose, look it up. John kalafatich ( PAPA JOHN )
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Those mediocre doctors on the board were trying to save their practices. This was all in the disguise of saving the ER. What a load of crap.
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What about the the other guys who voted as she did and are not “CNA mouth pieces”? Do you even know their names??? Probably not. It's easier to blame the big bad union for trying to save your hospital.
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Carole is and has always been a CNA mouthpiece. All the paragraphs, slow talking and endless bull shit above are useless in light of this fact.
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How can our ex-Mayor be so blissfully unaware of how awful he appears to us all here with his nasty, biased comment postings? Let's talk reeeaaaaalllll slow so you can understand, Tony.
Read the comments on the SLH stories. Do you notice that the only people who support your views here are uncaring, uninformed people who have little real information to share other than their hatred of unions and related, unjustified attacks on Carole Rogers? It's interesting thet you're associated with…those people.
The people who are following this issue closely, the ones who show up at public events, listening and speaking out, know that the current majority on the Board are heroes for figuring out ways to save the full Hospital services, which would have closed in October 2009 without their courageous actions. In the end, it appeared that only the District's lawsuit was capable of doing this.
You have admitted in previous posts that you were not present at the direct negotiations between ACMC and Sutter. So, YOU DON'T KNOW if a hybrid moded which may OR MAY NOT have been acceptable to the community was ever possible to achieve. In fact, we must presume that it was NOT possible because Sutter NEVER suggested or approved of the idea.
You and others talked the hybrid model up; ACMC officials may have spoken to you about it (but they sure didn't talk about it in public much). Where is your evidence that Sutter would have accepted a hybrid model for SLH services? The stupidity of your view is evidenced by the fact that Sutter could work with ACMC to achieve a hybrid model TODAY, Tony. Nothing that has happened prevents them from doing so right now, unless you're one of these people who claims, ridiculously, that Sutter won't negotiate while they're being attacked. Awwww, poor Pat Fry's fee-fees are hurt? My god, he's a powerful CEO, a public figure, a grown man. Shall we bathe his feet and maybe then he'll stop acting like a sociopath trying to force a future which will kill people, is that it? Ridiculous.
What is it with your bizarre focus on Carole Rogers? It's been said before here, and you're completely unresponsive to it: for the last three years, there have been three to four Healthcare District Board members who have voted as Carole has. You say nothing about them, instead behaving as if Carole's sole vote was responsible for the District's actions. The only explanation that comes to me for why you do not attack the other three male Board members who have voted to fight on behalf of the community is misogny.
I will guarantee you that you got your figures about RN pay at SLH from Sutter's propaganda. RN compensation as a talking point is completely irrelevant to our discussion about the future of SLH, but it is revealing about your motivations. Besides, you're wrong about the pay; do the math. Starting pay for RN's is in the low $40/hour range. Very, very few RN's work 40 hours a week, because the work is highly skilled, stressful and often backbreaking. And, of course, most workers at the Hospital are not RN's; many of them make much, much less in hourly wages. So, you're wrong with your frequently repeated “over $140K” claim. Again, completely irrelevant to the future of SLH, but an interesting class envy revelation anyway.
Tony, you are undermining your public image and all the good works you have done in our City over the decades. I was a supporter of yours, but now feel embarrased for you and enraged by your unwillingness to see this fight for what it has been. Even though the current Mayor does not suit me in many ways, I voted for him chiefly because your views on the Hospital were so reprehensible. I suspect it may be difficult to get you to accept my advice, my plea, really, but here goes: please stop. Stop, and think about what you're saying.
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Stupid people !!! Why do you all think that RN's makes at least $140,000 at SLH . A lot of SLH nurses are new grads or with less than 5 years experience . Starting at $40.00/hr . Is $40/hr worth the dirty dirty work that they do ??. TS how much did make as a Mayor ?? All you did was sit in your office ! Less than the RN's ???LOL LOL
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Poster above you are confused. Tony is speaking of RN's who belong to the CNA union. He is not speaking of salaries given to nursing assistants (aka CNA nurses). None the less, Tony is an asshole.
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CNA nurses starting salary is $44,000 per year at Sutter Hospitals. Shall we send Tony our pay stubs? What is your address Tony?
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I want all to know that I post anonymously simply because my program does not allow me to do otherwise. But I do sign my name. I love John's comments; he is member of CNA, one of biggest screwups in this whole process. Ask Mike Brannan what I told him when he visited me in my office: briefly, I advise him I would make every effort to make certain CNA was at the table-never got that far for reasons previously stated. Nurses are earning over $140,000 a year plus $40 k in benefits-they are not starving and yet, they objected to what many of us were attempting to do. CNA, Rogers and their supporters, clearly responsible for problems at SL Hospital. They all could have comprimised but did not and now the district faces extinction and poor; if sutter goes after damages, and I assume it will, district could be responsible for millions of dollars. Is this good steward ship of our money? The board has a fidicuary responsibility which may have been breeched. Who is going to do investigation into this aspect of the problem? FPPC, DA, ATTORNEY GEneral? Tony Santos
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I would post anonymously also if I was wishing a heart attack on anyone but luckily my dad has kaiser so the hospital will be close by.
No one has come up with a viable solution, what can we do as a city or a health care district to make the hospital viable? I have not seen a solution brought up by anyone that discusses how to pay for the solution. How to finance a local hospital.
Lets see some possible solutions instead of mentally ill folks calling for someone to have a heart attack.
You may not like the ex-mayors opinion or comments but at least he has an opinion and possible solutions unlike our present mayor who's solution is to have the citizens vote for what Sutter should do, really? Does he think Sutter cares? Needs to pull his head out of the sand.
Mike
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Anonymous 4:55,
“Focus on the facts and try logic…”.
Practice what you preach. I do not understand the point or points you're trying to make, other than that you disagree or dislike John. Otherwise, you have lost us.
What is the best resolution for this dispute between the people of the Healthcare District and Sutter? Explain your answer.
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Dear John, So when you lose your job we will all say “what goes round comes round” and you got what was coming to you?
What have you done that you would deserve losing your job? Should they close the ER at SLH do the patients who die get what's coming to them?
Really try to drop the BS. Focus on the facts and try logic instead of cheap cliches.
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To the poster of 4/26 6:17, you got part of it right as does TS, but the investigation should be of sutter, just like it was in Marin, where sutter took out 120 million from that hospital, and if any of you took the time to look at sutters previous practices you would notice that they were and could still be under investigation for over charging and charging for things that were not done in anesthesiology, and who should be one of the names involved in the conflict of interest case but an anesthesiologist under sutter payroll and so while you call the ETHD board all of these names it just shows how little you actually know about this whole situation. Here is something that sutter can deal with if and when they displace all of the employees at SLH they will all be without insurance and guess where we will go now for our medical needs, not to Highland but to sutter castro valley hospital where sutter can now get what they deserve, non-paying patients, oh well, what goes around comes around. So until then this is yours truly, John Kalafatich ( PAPA JOHN )
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The board did the right thing to stand against the evil giant Sutter Health to keep SLH open. You Sutter whores never will understand the importance of this hospital to this community, because you don’t care and never did cared about San Leander or its Hospital. You sold your souls to Sutter for some monitory gains. You will realize the importance of this hospital when you are visiting your family in San Leandro, have a hear attack and by the time you get to Eden Hospital you have wasted your sorry soul. I don’t wish this to any one but you Tony Santos and people like you deserve it.
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agreed — the district with that board has bankrupted themselves. we need an investigation of where the moneys gone.
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Again, if everyone had listened to Dr. Ratnesar and I, wll would not be in position we find ourself. At moment, no one knows what sutter is going to do and for time being, it might be best to wait awhile to allow dust to settle before telliing us what is going to happen to facility. Big question is, how much does Eden Township Hospital district owe Sutter? It could be in millions and could bankrupt the district; under circumstances may not matter because district no longer responsible for hospital and no longer has hospital to operate-time for district to dissolve? Know what-Carole, Dr. Sawney only have themselves to blame for what occurred at the district. Where is the apology-at least to Dr. Ratnesor?
Tony Santos
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“Director Alex Briscoe cautioned a distinction should be made between closing the facility entirely and merely shuttering its emergency room.”
Dinstinction? That's how you close a hospital, Alex. By suttering its lifeline which is the ER. Ask Ronnie Bayduza. She'll fill you in on the sordid details. County might as well make some dough and sell the building to Ramada Inn. Or make it into condos and sell those.
But be preapred: The spirit of all the dead (patients) will come to haunt them all. Ha!
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He did tell us so. He was right.
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You got it anonymous! I suggested a couple of months back to Carole Rogers that she sit down and see if she could make a deal with Sutter-all she did was publish my email on yahoo and look what happened. This could have been completed in 2009, but everyone stubborn and what do we have? A costly lawsuit, two years lost and maybe worst of all, SL will close-hope not and I do hope Sutter will return to the 2009 agreement and turn the hospital over to the County. And now the district has no hospital to operate and may just have to close shopt-Carole, CNA, Doctors owe Dr. Ratnesar a deep seeded apology. He did not want all to go this far. He wanted to comply with the previous agreement and hope the hospital would continue operating in some fashion-he was right, Carole, CNA wrong. No one has to apologize to me for being right all along-I am a big and took my lumps in 2010. One other individual needs to look in the mirror and figure out his position-that is Mike Gregory. He failed his responsibility to his constituents and the city. Last year, I told Mike he was in postion to bring the parties together and try to negotiate with all the parties-he too did not heed my advise. Let's hope all turns around and Sutter does the right thing. Tony Santos
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Nails in the coffin. Time to play taps.
Ok Tony, time to write us another 'I told you so paragraph'.
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