3761 Stocker Street – Suite 201

Los Angeles, California 90008

(323) 295-9372

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www.chc-inc.org
 

 

TENET PLANS TO CLOSE ALL HEART AND REHAB PROGRAMS AT

DANIEL FREEMAN MEMORIAL

KNOW THE FACTS

 

 

Ø     Tenet has decided to close several outpatient programs at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital that help keep people healthy and out of the hospital  including:

§        Cardiac Rehabilitation – more than 1 in 5 persons in the U. S. has cardiovascular disease.  Cardiac rehab has been shown to reduce the death rates in patients after heart attack by 25%.                        

§        Congestive Heart Failure Clinic – congestive heart failure affects more than 4.8 million people in the U. S. each year.  CHF programs have reduced hospital admissions by 29%.  The program at Daniel Freeman serves more than 50 patients each year.

§        Fitness Center – the program at DFM serves more than 700 patients and members each year.      

 

Ø     The incidence of heart disease in the South, Southwest Los Angeles and Inglewood communities served by Daniel Freeman is twice (184/100,000) the county average of 97deaths/100,000.

 

Ø     This is another blow to the community in a series of program closures and consolidations that have occurred since Tenet purchased the hospital two years ago.  

·         First Tenet shut down the catheterization lab and heart program at Daniel Freeman as part of a consolidation plan with Centinela Hospital. 

·         Next Tenet got the county Emergency Medical Service to agree to transport all cardiac 911 patients to Centinela Hospital.

·         Then Tenet promised to turn Centinela Hospital into a “center of excellence” for cardiac care, but this was limited to the money makers -  cardiac surgery and hospitalization.

·         Now  Tenet closes the outpatient cardiac and rehab programs and doesn’t transfer them to Centinela thereby downgrading cardiac care services in the community to a second grade program.

·         Tenet makes the cuts while under federal investigation for over-billing of Medicare and unnecessary cardiac procedures at Tenet facilities including Centinela.

 

Ø     In 2001 the Attorney General declared that any significant changes require community input, but Tenet has not done this. They have not held one community meeting, considered the rate of heart disease in the community or consulted patients and doctors.

 

Ø     We are asking the Attorney General to intervene and block these closures.