Who
- Redwood Coast section hospital CEOs
What
Last month, the CEOs from Hospital Council’s Redwood Coast Section gathered via Zoom to discuss CHA/Hospital Council legislative priorities such as seismic, the end of the state of emergency, and wind-down of the federal public health emergency.
As seismic legislation currently stands, the 2030 requirements are consequential to every member hospital in the Redwood Coast Section. While Assembly Member Jim Wood’s (D-Healdsburg) proposal, Assembly Bill 869, would not benefit all Redwood Coast hospitals, the group is supportive of the bill as it benefits many. There was good discussion around what CHA’s “Support If Amended” position means — largely that it does support the bill and would also like to see additional hospitals benefit from the bill’s considerations. Matt Rees, CEO of SoHum Health, also described the challenges of vacant storefronts in the downtown Garberville business district and shared that SoHum is looking to purchase a few to house clinics and/or a pharmacy expansion.
Also discussed…
Considering Sutter Coast’s not-yet-announced program to support patients with mental illness in Del Norte, the Mad River/Providence collaborative to stand up a crisis triage in Arcata, and SoHum’s expansions to combat the impacts of an economic downturn on their city center, the Redwood Coast Section hospitals are shining examples of how rural hospitals are so much more than a place to receive emergency health care. These hospitals are shoring up their respective communities, while also staying open to care for any literal bone breaks. As the associations advocate for increased financial support for our member hospitals, telling the story about how these hospitals are vital to the communities they serve is an important part of that advocacy.