Updates on the management crisis inside the Hollister hospital, analysis of most financial statements, and important findings on American Advanced Management Group

Registered nurses at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital (Hazel Hawkins) in Hollister, Calif., will hold a town hall on Thursday, Sept. 21, to discuss the future of San Benito County’s only acute-care hospital following the approval of a $10 million state loan and a bid from a private potential buyer, American Advanced Management Group (AAMG). 

“As nurses who are committed to ensuring that our community gets the highest quality of care at Hazel Hawkins, we are holding a second town hall to make sure that our patients are fully aware of what is going on in the hospital and behind the scenes,” said Courtney Parrinello, a registered nurse in the emergency room. “We had hoped that the $10 million interest-free loan from the state might prompt the San Benito Health Care District (the District) to rethink it’s push for bankruptcy, but that has not happened. Instead we are seeing giant disruptions in management staff and many director positions are now vacant. This management crisis inside the hospital is creating chaos that exacerbates our recruitment and retention problem and we fear is leading to a deterioration of patient care.”

In addition, nurses are deeply troubled to learn that even as the District has cut benefits to nurses and other staff, they decided this would be an appropriate time to give hospital executives a pay raise.

“How does it make sense that while the District is pursuing bankruptcy and stripping hard won benefits from those who care for our community, that the same District has decided to give tens of thousands of dollars in raises to people like Chief Executive Officer Mary Casillas, who already earns more than $300,000 a year?,” said Diane Mulcahey, a registered labor and nurse labor and 

What: Second Town Hall on Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital’s future 
When: Thursday Sept. 21, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Strada Verde, 354 1st Street, Hollister, Calif. 

Nurses were also deeply troubled to learn of allegations of inappropriate behavior on the part AAMG, the private medical group that is currently being considered as a potential buyer for Hazel Hawkins.

“I was shocked to read about allegations that the president of AAMG reportedly offered the chief executive officer (CEO) of a distressed California public hospital a check made out to her for $150,000 and the promise of an executive leadership position if her hospital was either sold to or managed by AAM,” said Diane Beck, a registered nurse in the surgical department.“This is a serious allegation of improper conduct and underscores the importance of the District and our community in making sure they have done a thorough investigation of any potential buyer or partner for our hospital.”

“It is imperative that Hazel Hawkins remains a full-service hospital with no cuts to services,” continued Beck. “Right now the people of San Benito County are the true owners of this critical public resource. It is imperative that we, the residents of San Benito County, do our due diligence to make sure whatever entity we partner with or sell to will work with us to maintain all services lines, and work with us to improve patient care for every resident of our county.”

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide.