The newsroom includes access to Council Connect, our twice-monthly newsletter on Hospital Council’s work. Media statements and press releases can also be found here.
Newsroom
Engagement, Ambulance Patient Offload Times, OneTeam Priorities Highlight Board Meeting
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.
Endorsed Business Partner | Timely Update: VISA/Mastercard Settlement
Hospital Council and our endorsed business partner, Managed Care Advisory Group (MCAG), a third-party filing expert, would like to inform members that a $5.54 billion settlement has been reached to compensate merchants for excessive interchange fees. The deadline for submitting your claim form is May 31. What’s Next? It may take time and resources to […]
CHA to Host 2024 Consent Law Seminars
The California Hospital Association’s (CHA) consent law seminars will focus on high-risk topics, including gender-affirming care, cannabis use, abortion, and psychiatric holds. Seminars are scheduled for May 1 in Glendale and May 13 in Sacramento, with the latter also available via livestream. Gray areas in consent law can complicate decisions, potentially exposing hospitals to significant litigation […]
Addressing Emergency Department Challenges in Northern Sierra
Who What Hospital Council efforts to sustain rural ambulance services continue. The newly formed coalition of state associations, LEMSAs, ambulance providers, county supervisors, and other entities will move next to do an analysis. While all members of the coalition are aware of the rural ambulance service crisis and its potential to worsen, data and patient […]
Addressing Inmate Emergency Department Transport Protocols
Who What At a meeting convened by Hospital Council on March 20, SFD shared concerns about communication and protocols on when the county jail uses emergency medical services (EMS) providers to transport inmates to community hospitals. In 2023, SFD transported over 660 inmates to hospitals, though hospital staff determined many did not need hospital-level care. […]
HCAI Reminds Hospitals to Register with New Online Portal
Last week, the California Hospital Association (CHA) shared that a significant number of hospitals missed a Jan. 1 registration deadline for the Department of Health Care Access and Information’s new online charity care portal. Hospitals that have not registered may be subject to penalties of up to $500 per day. Hospitals should confirm that they […]
Hospital Association of Southern California to Host Central Coast 2024 Essential Human Trafficking Training
HASC will host the Essential Human Trafficking Training in Health Care on May 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.
North Bay Leaders Discuss Workforce and Access
Who What The North Bay Section gathered in person on March 13 to hear an overview of Hospital Council and CHA’s 2024 priorities and discuss health care workforce development. Highlights include: Takeaway/Next Steps Participants noted their appreciation for having a space where they can speak candidly with colleagues and learn from one another’s experience. Hospital […]
Central Valley CEOs Meet with Sen. Anna Caballero
Who What On March 18, Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Merced) met with hospital CEOs in the Central Valley portions of her district. The CEOs thanked the senator for her authorship of the California Hospital Association’s (CHA) current seismic legislation. Over the course of the productive conversation, CEOs also shared their priorities and concerns, chief among them […]
Honoring Women’s History Month by Advancing Maternity Care
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 leaders are having to make. Twelve California counties have no hospital labor and […]