TITLE
Recommendation to request City Council to support SB 687 regarding emergency rooms and request City Manager to communicate the City's support to the bill's author and our state legislative delegation.
DISCUSSION
According to a study in the Journal of Health Affairs, 26 California hospitals with emergency rooms (ERs) closed between 1999 and 2010. An additional 22 hospitals closed their ERs, but continued operating the rest of the hospital. Meanwhile, California saw a 27% increase in the total patient visits per emergency department between 1996 and 2009 and has the lowest number of emergency departments per capita in the nation.
Senate Bill 687 (Skinner) would require non-profit hospitals in California to obtain approval from the state Attorney General before closing an emergency department, and to hold at least one public hearing about the planned closure.
The Attorney General currently has regulatory authority over the sale of non-profit hospitals, but not over planned closures.
The bill directs the Attorney General to consider impacts a closure would have on the availability or accessibility of health care services in a community. Existing law only requires a hospital planning to close its emergency department to provide 90 day notice to the California Department of Public Health.
This legislation is supported by emergency room nurses, as well as the California Professional Firefighters.
This matter is time sensitive as the legislation is about to be considered in an important policy committee.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no significant fiscal impact with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
AL AUSTIN
COUNCILMAN, EIGHTH DISTRICT
JEANNINE PEARCE
COUNCILMEMBER, SECOND DISTRICT
SUZIE PRICE
COUNCILWOMAN, THIRD DISTRICT