The newsroom includes access to Council Connect, our twice-monthly newsletter on Hospital Council’s work. Key articles and issues of interest, along with the President’s Message, are included below.
Newsroom
Eureka Police Department Leads the Way in Decriminalizing Mental Illness
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Through innovative de-escalation techniques and structural changes in its approach to crisis intervention, the Eureka Police Department (EPD) is transforming how law enforcement handles mental illness and substance abuse crises, effectively reducing 5150 (involuntary psychiatric) holds by 68% since 2018 and diverting nearly 93% of crisis calls in 2024 from hospitalization or incarceration.
A New Year, Same Commitment to Health Care
As Hospital Council looks to the year ahead, our commitment to ensuring all Californians have access to reliable, quality health care remains the same. Our previous message focused on adapting to change, and while we cannot fully predict everything that will happen in the future, preparing for the new year is a good way to start.
San Francisco Eyes Potential Expansion of Behavioral Health Beds
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
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The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is set to approve a resolution authorizing the San Francisco Department of Public Health to submit applications for grant funds to the state’s Department of Health Care Services under the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program Round 1: Launch Ready.
Sacramento Hospitals Reduce APOT, Push for Further Reduction
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
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Hospitals have worked diligently, innovatively, and collaboratively to improve ambulance patient offload times (APOT) in 2024. With a state-highest collective APOT of 73 minutes in December 2023, area hospitals achieved a remarkable 29 minutes in November 2024.
Northern Sierra Maintains Focus on Ambulance Access
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
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Nor-CAL Rural Ambulance Coalition meetings to explore opportunities to retain (and in some cases restore) ambulance services to rural northern Sierra communities continue. At these meetings, the energy is positive and coalition stakeholders — which include ambulance providers, local Emergency Medical Services Authorities, hospitals, county supervisors and agencies, and Partnership HealthPlan of California — are engaged participants.
Adapting to Change
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
As we head into a new year, we want to take a moment to reflect on everything our hospital members have accomplished this past year. 2024 has shown us the importance of adapting to change, and one major unplanned challenge was an unprecedented fire season in the Hospital Council service area: Wildfires saw a nearly 240% increase from last year to this year (308,761 to 1,049,398 acres), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).
Complementary Tool Allows Hospitals to Self-Assess PSSM Compliance
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently unveiled a new Patient Safety Structural Measure (PSSM), asking hospitals to attest to the use of 25 practices that support a culture of safety. Mandatory reporting starts with calendar year 2025, and a new, complementary tool can help hospitals with compliance.
Corporate Associate Member | Mood Health Welcomed
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Hospital Council welcomes Mood Health as a Corporate Associate Member, supporting member hospitals in extending their portfolio of offerings to patients in need of psychiatric services.
A Time for Gratitude
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a holiday that serves as a reminder to express gratitude and spend time with loved ones. On behalf of our Hospital Council team, we want to take this time to honor our hospitals and all health care workers for their hard work and dedication. Their deep commitment to serving those in need is truly inspiring, and it echoes our mission of ensuring access to health care for all Californians.
Hospital Leaders Meet with CDPH Fresno Office
This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
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On Oct. 22, RVPs David Bacci and Brian Jensen co-hosted a CDPH meeting for all hospitals covered by CDPH’s Fresno office.
