Harris Koenig
Via facsimile: (310) 574-7854 and (310) 419-8273
Dear Mr. Koenig:
We appreciate the scheduling of public meetings
to enable the community to better inform Tenet Healthcare Corporation about
the health care needs of the public and the services provided at
1. What equipment and structural repairs have been completed and remain outstanding? We understand that repairs are needed to the air conditioning system in patient areas, including the Emergency Room and Telemetry units. Please provide a list of outstanding maintenance and repair projects in patient care areas and address when the air conditioning system and other similar service needs will be completed, and if not scheduled, why?
2. What percentage of the daily census is attributed to non-emergency admissions since the court order? We understand that current hospital policy requires prior approval for any new admission and has resulted in the inability of some patients to be admitted. Please provide a copy of your admission policy and how many patients have been denied admission over the last 30 days.
3. What is the status and level of operation of the laboratory, library, endoscopic services and other ancillary services needed in order to allow patients to be admitted? We understand that a gastrointestinal nurse is not available for endoscopic procedures. Please provide a list of all services closed prior to the court order that are not currently fully staffed and operational along with an explanation.
4. What is the status of the on-call panel? We understand that the on-call panel is not adequate at the current time and lacks several important specialties. Please provide a list of the services available through the on-call panel prior to the announcement of the planned closure that have not been reinstated along with an explanation.
5. What is the status of the Psychiatric and Chemical Dependency units? We understand that those units are still closed. Please provide an update on the reopening of those units.
6. What steps have been taken to advise all medical staff, employees and officers of the court order and reopening of the hospital for non-emergency admissions? Please provide copies of memos or correspondence that was distributed relating to the preliminary injunction and any updates issued since then.
7. What is the status of contracts with health insurance companies? We understand that Blue Shield patients in particular have been told that the hospital does not accept that insurance. Please provide a status report on the insurance that was accepted prior to the announcement of the closure and those that are accepted now and the reasons for any changes.
8. What is the status of the medical staff meetings? We understand that there have been few such meetings since the closure announcement was made. Please provide the reasons for such a reduction, if in fact, it was made.
Further, we ask that you provide us with the following information:
1. The staffing ratio by department for each day since the granting of the preliminary injunction, August 13th.
2. The number of physicians by specialty active on the call panel for each day since August 13th.
3. The number of elective admissions for each day since August 13th.
We would also like to have updates on the daily staffing ratio, the call panel and number of elective admissions on a weekly basis.
We believe receipt of this information in a timely manner helps us to be active participants in the community planning process and enable us to provide you with the input you seek. It is only with a fully operational hospital that we believe an honest assessment can be made. Therefore, we ask that you provide the information requested by October 15th, so that we may prepare for our meeting with you.
Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss the planning process and future of the hospital in greater detail.
Sincerely,
Lark Galloway-Gilliam Leslie Bennett
Executive Director Staff Attorney
Community Health Councils, Inc.,
Consumers
Suite
(323) 295-9372 (415) 431-6747 ext. 137
On their behalf and on behalf of
Patrick Burns,
Susan Berke Fogel and Maura Kealey, SEIU
Julie Inouye, Save Our
cc: Bill Lockyer
Tricia Wynne
Dennis Eagan
Wendi Horwitz
Mark Urban
Margie Lewis
William Barrett
John Murdock