Read SCFHP's Letter Asking Attorney General Becerra to Reconsider His Position on the Sale of O'Connor Hospital and St. Louise Regional Hospital to Santa Clara County
RE: Purchase of O'Connor Hospital and St. Louise Regional Hospital by the County of Santa Clara
Dear Attorney General Becerra,
Santa Clara Family Health Plan respectfully requests that your office reconsider its position on the sale of O'Connor Hospital and St. Louise Regional Hospital to the County of Santa Clara. As the only potential buyer, purchase by the County of Santa Clara will prevent the closure of these two essential hospitals. We request that your office support this sale without imposition of additional conditions. This will best serve the needs of the residents of Santa Clara County.
Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) is a local, public, not-for-profit health plan. In our county, SCFHP provides health care coverage for 251,000 people enrolled in government funded programs, including 78% of adults and children enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care, 75% of adults enrolled in Cal MediConnect (Medicare-Medicaid Plan) and 100% of children enrolled in Healthy Kids.
We partner with a wide variety of health care providers to ensure our members are able to access appropriate services in their communities. O'Connor Hospital and St. Louise Regional Hospital have been our partners since 1997, providing care to tens of thousands of our members each year. These two hospitals provide essential services, including emergency services, acute inpatient care, sub-acute care, and ambulatory care. If these hospitals close, Santa Clara County loses 451 hospital beds and vital services, putting unnecessary strain on the healthcare safety net. And if St. Louise closes, the residents of San Martin, Morgan Hill and Gilroy no longer have access to a local hospital.
Unlike the prior sale to Verity, a for-profit corporation, the sale to the County of Santa Clara puts the hospitals under the guidance of a public entity whose mission aligns with your office's commitment to accessible, high quality health care services for the vulnerable population of our region. On behalf of SCFHP, our members, and our providers, we appreciate your consideration of the importance of these hospitals as critical components of our county's healthcare system. If you would like to discuss this further, I will make myself available at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Christine M. Tomcala
Chief Executive Officer
Santa Clara Family Health Plan
cc:
The Honorable Gavin Newsom, Governor, State of California
The Honorable Bob Wieckowski, CA State Senator, District 10
The Honorable Jim Beall, CA State Senator, District 15
The Honorable Bill Monning, CA State Senator, District 17
The Honorable Marc Berman, CA Assemblymember, District 24
The Honorable Kansen Chu, CA Assemblymember, District 25
The Honorable Ash Kalra, CA Assemblymember, District 27
The Honorable Evan Low, CA Assemblymember, District 28
The Honorable Mark Stone, CA Assemblymember, District 29
The Honorable Anna Caballero, CA Assemblymember, District 30
The Honorable Mike Wasserman, Supervisor, District 1, County of Santa Clara
The Honorable Cindy Chavez, Supervisor, District 2, County of Santa Clara
The Honorable Dave Cortese, Supervisor, District 3, County of Santa Clara
The Honorable Susan Ellenberg, Supervisor, District 4, County of Santa Clara
The Honorable Joe Simitian, Supervisor, District 5, County of Santa Clara
Dr. Jeff Smith, County Executive, County of Santa Clara