Who
- Hospital Council and CHA
- Hospital executives
- Local health officials
- American Hospital Management Corporation
What
Gathering for the first in-person section meeting of Hospital Council’s Redwood Coast Section in over two years, attendees enjoyed a lively discussion spanning California public policy related to health care, staffing challenges, and behavioral health and substance use disorder. The evening section meeting laid bare the reality of the area’s homelessness, behavioral health, and substance abuse challenges, which were visible just outside the front door of the meeting venue, The Historic Eagle House in downtown Eureka.
This difficulty is even greater just to the north in Del Norte County, where any patients needing psychiatric hospitalization must travel as far as Oakland for services due to a lack of psychiatric hospitalization services in the county. Sutter Coast’s CEO Mitch Hanna noted that, due to a moratorium of certifications of new hospice facilities, Del Norte County is also without any hospice services for end-of-life patients; Sutter has applied for an exemption to be able to provide this critical service.
Takeaways / Next Steps
For informational purposes only.