Council Connect Articles

Contra Costa Fire Protection District to Implement New APOT Policy in March  

Who What The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and its ambulance subcontractor, AMR, plan to implement a new ambulance patient offload time (APOT) policy in March. Under the new policy, ambulance personnel who have been waiting for 60 minutes to transfer patients in need of hospital emergency department (ED) services may “immediately mov[e] the […]

Orchestrating Health Care Accessibility in Rural California

Who What As member hospitals and Humboldt County progress toward the construction of a behavioral health crisis triage center (a plan developed with Hospital Council in 2022), 2024 is shaping up to be a year of community collaboratives. Sonoma County has announced a multi-county behavioral health collaborative day on May 30, Adventist Health’s Ukiah Valley Incubate […]

Working Together to Break the Cycle

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.

City of Berkeley Fair Workweek Ordinance Becomes Effective Jan. 12 

Who

Hospitals with health care facilities located in the city of Berkeley   

What

The city of Berkeley’s Fair Workweek Ordinance goes into effect on Jan. 12. Passed in 2022, the ordinance requires employers in Berkeley to adhere to certain scheduling and notification requirements for shifts, provide predictability pay to all employees, and offer work to existing employees first.  

Northern Sierra’s New Year Starts with Reflections on Behavioral Health Care  

Who

Behavioral health care, hospital, and county leadership from across California  

What

With its time for reflection and goal setting, CHA’s annual Behavioral Health Care Symposium on Dec. 12-13 was an ideal prelude to the new year. Representatives from 75 hospitals and 20 counties attended, including many from the Northern Sierra. It is clear from many presentations that the behavioral health landscape in California is entirely different than it was five years ago. There is a heightened sense of urgency among stakeholders, significant legislative action, and funding allocated by the state to address behavioral health care needs through counties and state projects. In the words of one speaker, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, “We have come very far and have very far to go.” 

East Bay Counties Delay Implementation of SB 43 To January 2026  

Who

Board of Supervisors in East Bay counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano)   

What

Senate Bill (SB) 43, which was signed into law in October, expands the definition of the term “gravely disabled” for the involuntary detention, treatment, or conservatorship of individuals with behavioral health conditions to include those living with severe substance use disorders.

Facing the Future by Remembering the Past

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: