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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recognizes as a time “to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being and provide resources and information to support individuals and communities who may need mental health support.”
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This week, hospitals throughout our region, California, and the country are celebrating National Nurses Week, which started on May 6 and ends on May 12 to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, a founder of modern nursing. The American Nurses Association states that this year’s theme is “Nurses Make the Difference,” which “honors the incredible nurses who embody the spirit of compassion and care in every health care setting.”
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From the Central Valley to Crescent City, thousands of women and men choose every day to give their time to their neighbors, friends, and family who need hospital care.
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Hospital Council held our first in-person board meeting of the year at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento on April 8-9. While we focused on critical issues facing Hospital Council members, such as financial challenges for hospitals and key regional projects, we started our meeting with a presentation and roundtable discussion with Stephen “Shed” Shedletzky on the principles in his book Speak-Up Culture. The underlying principle discussed was that organizations with speak-up cultures are safer, more innovative, more engaged, and better performing than their peers. That discussion set the tone for our meeting to create a safe, speak-up environment for our member hospitals and at our regular board meetings where significant issues are being discussed.
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This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.Throughout California, hospital labor and delivery units are closing, casualties of a perfect storm of record-low birth rates, health care workforce shortages, and low Medi-Cal reimbursement. Closing maternity services is never an easy decision, and yet it’s one more and more hospital […]
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Millions of Californians are at risk of losing access to critical health care services as rural hospitals struggle financially. When a rural hospital closes, it is often the sole source of care for miles and miles so Californians living in these communities must travel farther for care. Those in poor health, seniors, and people experiencing poverty suffer the most.
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California’s nearly five dozen rural hospitals provide care to more than 2 million people and are both lifelines and economic pillars for the communities they serve. However, many of these hospitals are on the financial brink, reducing services just to stay open or facing the possibility of closure.
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February marks Black History Month, a timely recognition of the Black community’s invaluable contributions and enduring legacy. Although we should uplift voices from Black communities year-round, February reminds us to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of those who have fought for justice and equality.
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In the 1993 film Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays a man who repeats the same day over and over, hoping for a different outcome. As Groundhog Day approaches next week on Feb. 2, it may seem a little like the movie as many issues our hospitals previously faced are once again front and center this year. From seismic issues to ambulance patient offload times, regulatory oversight and overreach issues, to challenges with payers, many issues are repeating. The reality is they are resurfacing in a different environment, as hospitals confront escalating financial challenges, worsening workforce shortages, and an ever-increasing demand for health care services.
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January is a time filled with hope as we look ahead to the new year, but it’s important to reflect on the past so we don’t repeat the same mistakes. Jan. 3, 2024, marked the one-year anniversary of the closure of Madera Community Hospital. As the only general acute care hospital in Madera County, its closure drew attention to the significant financial challenges that most California hospitals face. Before Madera’s closure, many elected officials wrongly believed hospitals were flush with money and too big to fail, but the reality is that an estimated one in five California hospitals is at risk of closure, which means greater difficulty for patients to access health care.
What happened to Madera Community Hospital could happen elsewhere as hospitals in California continue to face major challenges, including:
