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HASC Briefs

HASC Briefs for Aug. 13, 2015

MLK Hospital has dedicated a new facility following years of effort. Also in this issue, L.A. County releases a jail diversion plan and hospitals reexamine best practices following the release of CMS numbers.

Hundreds of stakeholders attended Aug. 7’s dedication ceremony at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, including (from left) L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Aris Ridley-Thomas (wife of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas) and California Attorney General Kamala Harris. (HASC photo)
Association News

Community Celebrates MLK Hospital Dedication

TBD

Community members, staff and local officials dedicated a gleaming new Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital on Aug. 7.

Raising funds to open the hospital wasn’t easy, but planners found a solution in a unique public, private and academic partnership, said Manuel Abascal, chairman of the hospital board.

“It hadn’t been done before, but we did it, and it works,” he said at the ceremony.

Association News

Hospitals Move to Limit Readmissions

Hospitals are reexamining their best practices in the wake of last week’s release of penalty data from the CMS Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.  

Of more than 300 California hospitals, approximately 65 percent were sanctioned. Overall, Southern California facilities’ penalty rate was down slightly over last year. While the HRRP allows a maximum penalty of 3 percent of a hospital’s annual reimbursement, no Southern California hospitals got socked for the full amount.

Association News

Association Welcomes New CEOs

The association welcomes the following CEOs who are newly appointed to positions at Southern California hospitals: John Bishop, William Gilbert and Michael Rembis.

John Bishop

John Bishop is CEO at Long Beach Memorial, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and Community Hospital Long Beach. He has been part of MemorialCare Health System since 2004.

 

William L. Gilbert

Association News

Behavioral Health Unit Opens at Bellflower Hospital

Adam Blackstone

Los Angeles Community Hospital at Bellflower recently opened a 32-bed inpatient behavioral health unit—the first step towards restoring full operations to the facility.

Now owned by Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc., the facility replaces the former Bellflower Medical Center, which closed in 2013.

The revamped hospital features new nursing stations and a new patio for patients. The facility employs close to 60 clinical staff and about 20 non-clinical employees. It opened its doors on July 23.

Association News

Los Angeles County Releases Jail Diversion Plan

TBD

County District Attorney Jackie Lacey last week unveiled a plan that would divert non-violent mentally-ill offenders from the Los Angeles County Jail to mental health and substance-abuse treatment facilities. 

HASC Regional Vice President Jaime Garcia, who represents the Los Angeles County area, attended the Aug. 4 board of supervisors session.

“HASC believes that a well-funded, robust outpatient treatment program that includes housing is required in order to effectively address the issue of homelessness,” Garcia said. 

Association News

HASC Welcomes New Associate Members

HASC welcomes the following new associate members: Adaptive Business Leaders, Availity, Nelson Hardiman, LLP and Strategy Advantage.

Adaptive Business Leaders

Santa Ana, Calif.

www.abl.org

Mimi Grant, President

Adaptive Business Leaders connects health care CEOs and other executives with a broad spectrum of providers, payers and suppliers in monthly confidential roundtables.

Availity

Jacksonville, Fla.

Association News

Golf Tournament Signup Deadline Nears

The deadline to register for the 2015 HASC Charity Golf Classic is Monday, Sept. 21.

The tournament tees off on Monday, Oct. 5 with play at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale. The event supports the National Health Foundation’s efforts to improve health care access in the state’s underserved communities. The tournament start time is 10 a.m.

Hospitals can also participate as event sponsors in several categories.