By Tom Abate | San Leandro Patch
May 2, 2012  

Local members of the California Nurses Association (CNA) brought about 125 people to the Senior Community Center Tuesday afternoon to discuss how to prevent Sutter Health from closing San Leandro Hospital's emergency room.

Earlier in the day, CNA nurses had picketed the hospital as part of a contract dispute with Sutter.

Sutter now owns San Leandro Hospital. City and county officials are concerned that the health care chain will end local emergency and inpatient services.

Sutter has not yet disclosed its plans for San Leandro Hospital.

San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy, who spoke at Tuesday's gathering, said the local ER saw more than 25,000 patients a year.

"Where are they going to go," he said, adding "we will try as hard as we can" to keep the hospital open.

But what can elected officials do?

At a recent study session convened by the city, county officials said they might participate in the rescue of San Leandro Hospital but not if it threatened the financial stability of the county's health system.

At Tuesday's meeting one speaker said the Alameda County Board of Supervisors should take away the tax breaks Sutter gets for being a non-profit.

But Jeanette Dong, chief of staff for San Leandro's Supervisor Wilma Chan, said any such action would have to be done at the state level.

Original article.