Tenet early exit vexes El Camino Hospital - Dallas Business Journal:

http://vtlg-asia.com/index.php?language=English&menu=&News_SN=43
Tenet said on Jan. 8 that it wouldr exit April 10, but a spokesman latee would not rule out the possibility that it mighrt decide toleave earlier. Tenet last year said it is losintgabout $1 million a month in Los Gatoas and decided to pull out because it can’t afford the seismic retrofit the hospital needs. El Camino has agreed to buy the 143-bef hospital from Tenet’s Long Beach health care real estatefirm , on June 1. Now El Camin o faces the possibility oflosingv doctors, nurses and other employees if the hospital is closec for a long time.
El Camino spokeswoman Judy Twitchell said it would take a minimumk of 90 days to start clinica l services in Los Gatos because of the installationh of new IT In the original timetablee that meant the hospital was likely to be closed throughthe summer. Now it appears that as a resulgof Tenet’s actions, Community Hospital will be closed even longer. “It was our understanding that thers would bean uninterrupted, orderly transition,” said Californiaa Nurses Association director Jill Furillo.
“The nursea need to continue working in that and the community needs that hospital to remain Furillo said the association is contacting electexd officials and will meet soon with El Camino Chief Medical Officer Eric Pifer to ensure that all of the nurseasare hired. Pifer said El Camino Hospital is “highlhy motivated” to get the doors open as quicklgas possible. Pifer, who is in charge of the said there are elements of the deal with HCP that have yet to be He could not discuss those issuesw because of nondisclosure agreements with Tenetand HCP.
“Any hospital operator who is takingy over a facility would be crazy ifthey didn’ty want to open as quickly as possiblse — not only for the community but becausr the doctors will leave,” Pifer “It damages our business prospects, and we will do everythinhg possible to get the hospital open sooner.” Twitchelk said hospital officials did not know when they agreedf to purchase the facility that Tenet would ceaser operations, but assumed the lease woul end on May 31 and El Camino woulds take ownership on June 1. “We’ve been talkinbg with Good Samaritan and other locall hospitals to make sure that emergency care is she said.
California law requires 90 days’ notic for the closure of emergencyroom services; however, clinical serviced do not require any notice before closure. Tenet spokesman David Matthews said Tenet would facilitates transfers ofthe hospital’s 450 employees to Tenet’es other hospitals, where possible. The nearest Tenet-ownedf hospitals are in Manteca, Modesto and San Ramon. Jill a health care recruiter with MelnicConsulting Group, said a simila situation happened in Alabama when one of the hospitalss closed its doors and, “HR went crazg trying to transfer people.
” “Silicon Valley does have a lot of medicapl facilities, and there is a nursing shortagr here,” Gilliland said. “I imaginr some employees will relocate and some will be absorbed intodifferen hospitals.”