About Northern Sierra
The Northern Sierra Section is comprised of 21 hospitals, representing 1,400 licensed beds in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity counties.
Nursing Education Needs Are a Critical Concern
Who Hospitals in the Northern Sierra section What In their ongoing efforts to identify increasingly prevalent workforce challenges, hospitals across the Northern Sierra section have determined there is a critical need for licensed vocational nurse (LVN) to registered nurse (RN) education. In addition, new RN staffing ratios for skilled-nursing facilities are on the horizon, meaning […]
Northern Sierra CEOs Share Challenges and Opportunities
Who CEOs and other hospital leadership in the Northern Sierra Section What At a section meeting in late August, Northern Sierra CEOs discussed a wide range of critical issues including the continued increase of patients being held on 5150s in the emergency departments (EDs), as well as shortages of behavioral health workforce across the region. […]
Collaborating to Improve Behavioral Health
Who Shasta County hospital CEOs and leadership staff Shasta County behavioral health director and leadership staff What On July 9, Hospital Council hosted a meeting in Shasta County of hospital and county behavioral health leaders. Kirsten Barlow, California Hospital Association vice president, policy, informed the group about significant and process-changing laws and programs coming to […]
Healthcare Professional Shortage Area Designations Reviewed
Who Department of Health and Human Services Hospital Council What A Healthcare Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation is critical for many recruitment efforts in hospitals and clinics, as the designation brings with it access to some state and federal programs offering tuition reimbursement, grants, visa waivers, and more. Some HPSA designations are automatic and tied […]
Rural Health Information Exchange Is Now Statewide
Who SacValley MedShare (SVMS) Dignity Health hospitals throughout California What SVMS has announced its expansion from a regional to a statewide qualified health information organization by partnering with Dignity Health. SVMS is set to extend its health data exchange services to over 30 Dignity hospitals across the state. Over a decade ago, the Northern Sierra […]
Northern Sierra Hospitals Advocate for Rural Health Access
Who Northern Sierra Section hospital CEOs and leaders What The Northern Sierra Section met on April 10 at Sutter Health Park with an agenda focused on information sharing between and among hospitals, the California Hospital Association (CHA), and Hospital Council. During the hospital roundtable, it became evident that integrating advanced practice professionals (APPs) into the […]
Addressing Emergency Department Challenges in Northern Sierra
Who Coalition of state associations, local emergency medical services authorities (LEMSAs), ambulance providers, and county supervisors 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 […]
Coalition Forms to Address Rural Ambulance Services
Who Elected officials from northern California Emergency medical professionals County government representatives What A new coalition of legislators, emergency medical professionals, county representatives, and Hospital Council staff met to discuss the prevention of more closures and reduction of rural ambulance services in California. Ambulance providers closing or reducing services has become commonplace in rural areas, […]
PHC Holds Symposium on Rural Maternity Care
Who Partnership HealthPlan of California Representatives from hospitals and health care partners in partnership counties California Health Care Foundation CHA and Hospital Council staff What Partnership HealthPlan of California (PHC) held a one-day symposium on Feb. 12 about the lack of maternity services in rural areas and the threat of additional closures. Hospitals face […]
Hospital Council Engages on Jobs and EMS Access
Who Hospitals and emergency medical services (EMS) providers in Sacramento and Placer counties Sacramento County Emergency Medical Services Agency (SCEMSA) What At a public meeting on Feb. 8, the Sacramento County health officer committed the county to not pursuing financial penalties on hospitals for missing ambulance patient offload time (APOT) targets. This is to ensure […]