Clendaniel: Counties must find a way to keep 4 hospitals open
I had an ulterior motive, as well. I wanted another look at the park 10 miles northeast of
Mother Nature has a way of letting us know that we shouldn't get lolled into a false sense of security even in the most peaceful of settings.
The question on my mind was whether we have sufficient medical facilities to deal with the next major earthquake, especially if
We were fortunate in 1989 that we had the hospital facilities necessary to deal with
And lucky.
If the earthquake had struck closer to a more-populated area, the number of injuries could have doubled, or even tripled, putting additional pressure onemergency rooms and facilities. Officials estimate that a major earthquake along the Hayward Fault, for example, could result in 800 deaths and 18,000 injuries.
Verity announced in July that it might put the four hospitals up for sale, and
Smith believes the county needs the beds not only for an emergency, but also to care for the daily needs of the county's growing population. Were O'Connor and Saint Louise to close, it's almost certain that the county would need to spend hundreds of millions to build additional beds at
The population of
But can the county afford to buy and operate the two hospitals? It's a complex, challenging question. One that requires a crystal ball to determine the future of the Affordable Care Act and federal and state health care funding.
The state
It's imperative that the county show how it could operate the hospitals without damaging other essential programs. Construction and acquisition costs could be made with lease revenue bonds, but any debt service and operating costs of the facilities and their employees would fall to the general fund.
Some health care experts have suggested that the county could consider a public-private effort with, say,
The first priority for the county if it makes an offer for the two hospitals is to demonstrate to taxpayers that it pencils out. One way or another,
___
(c)2018 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)
Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
No Cost Help with Medicare Plans
The Comprehensive Study on About Global Small Business Insurance Market 2018 by Growth Factors, Applications, Regional Analysis, Key Players Like – Allstate, Allianz, AX
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News