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Public Hearings on Future of Bay Area Daughters of Charity Hospitals Continue Thursday

NRs, community to rally, testify for approval of sale to save critically needed care for underserved at St. Louise

GILROY— Building on momentum gathered by hundreds of registered nurses who mobilized at hospitals in southern California and San Jose earlier this week, nurses and community organizations are turning out again Thursday at Gilroy's City Hall. They will be gathering for the fourth day of rallies and Attorney General public hearings in support of the proposed sale of six Daughters of Charity hospitals to Prime Healthcare.

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) represents 1,800 nurses at four of the six hospitals and is part of a broad coalition that includes environmental, community and civil rights groups that endorse the sale to avert a potentially catastrophic health care crisis in two of California's largest metropolitan areas.

In addition to a pre-hearing nurse rally, the St. Louise public hearing will feature testimony from RNs regarding exactly what is at stake in the event a blocked sale results in hospital closure.

"St Louise is the only acute care hospital serving the growing underserved Gilroy community," says Donna Fischer, an RN in the St. Louise ICU. "I've worked here since 1983, and the St. Louise ER has been invaluable for both myself and for my children. It's the only ER for 25 miles, and it served 24,000 patients last year, 45 percent who are financial vulnerable. Closing it will create a major public health crisis."

For the Gilroy community, a hospital closure would leave patients and families with no clear alternative option. In 2013, patients who required intensive care spent 1,500 combined days in the St. Louise intensive care unit. With the nearest hospitals having bed occupancy rates ranging from 95 to 101 percent, capacity does not exist to care for additional patients.

Daughters of Charity Hospitals are operated as non-profits, the sale of which requires the approval of the Attorney General, who must determine if the transaction is in the public interest.

Prime is the only viable offer that would avert closure, and stave off this potential loss of essential healthcare services. With the Daughters of Charity Health System losing nearly $10 million a month, Prime has committed to keep all six hospitals open for a minimum of five years, protect most of the existing 7600 jobs, pay off nearly $750 million in tax-exempt bonds, pension and other debts, and commit an additional $150 million to hospital improvements.

When DCHS first learned of the effort to sell in 2014, nurses came up with a set of guidelines designed to protect the hospitals, patients, and the community. These included: (1) operate all DCHS hospitals as acute care facilities, (2) maintain all existing hospital services, (3) give reasonable assurances against a short-term bankruptcy, (4) keep all promises made to retirees, and (5) honor caregivers' right to collectively bargain for their mutual aid and patient protection.

Of interested buyers, only Prime satisfied these principles, although nurses also considered a proposal from a Wall Street private equity firm, Blue Wolf Capital. Blue Wolf, which has a reputation for buying, gutting and reselling businesses for quick profit, failed to satisfy the nurses' requirements.

The remaining three hearings will take place in each of the communities served by one of the D.O.C hospitals located in Gilroy, Moss Beach and Daly City

January 8-9 Bay Area Hearing and Rally Schedule

Thursday, Jan. 8, —St. Louise Regional Hospital—Rally at 8:30 a.m., Hearing at 10:00 a.m. Gilroy City Hall, Council Chambers 7351 Rosanna St., Gilroy, CA 95020
Friday, Jan. 9, Seton Medical Center Coastside— NO RALLY-Hearing—9:00 a.m. Seton Medical Center-Coastside, 600 Marine Blvd., Moss Beach, CA 94038
Friday, Jan 9, Seton Medical Center—Rally at Noon, Hearing at 1:00 p.m. Seton Medical Center, Merced Room, 145 Lake Merced Blvd., Daly City, CA 94015.