Med center drops ax on 340 jobs
By Rebecca Vesely, STAFF WRITER, The Oakland Tribune
Article Last Updated: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 6:38:12 AM PST

About 340 positions at the Alameda County Medical Center were eliminated and interim CEO Efton Hall Jr. was fired when the governing Board of Trustees voted to make a clean sweep of the troubled hospital and clinic system Mon-day night.

About 250 employees packed the auditorium at Highland Hospital and most denounced the cuts.

"Do you know how long it takes to get an X-ray?" said Lynne Behr, an ICU nurse. "What are you people even thinking?"

The shakeup was based on recommendations by Cambio Health Solutions, a consulting firm hired in February on an 18-month, $3.2 million contract to turn around the medical center.

Faced with a budget deficit looming around $71 million, the medical center and the county Board of Supervisors in March asked voters to approve Measure A -- a half-cent sales tax that will raise about $65 million a year for the medical center for the next 15 years. Voters approved Measure A by a comfortable margin, with 71 percent supporting it.

The medical center includes Highland and Fairmont hospitals, John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro and three clinics in Oakland, Hayward and Newark.

Medical center workers were furious with the layoffs -- especially since their members turned out the vote for Measure A.

"The slogan for Measure A was a lie to members of the county," said Lisa Mills, a licensed vocational nurse at Winton Wellness Center in Newark. The slogan for Measure A was health care for all.

Trustees said the layoffs were a difficult decision. "We need to make sure we're generating revenue," said trustee Barbara Price.

The cuts could amount to close to 500 workers because some positions are part-time or job shares, according to unions representing the workers. Trustees said they would confer with labor negotiators and do the layoffs in 60 to 90 days.

"These are the levels of cuts we would have expected if Measure A had failed," said Bradley Cleveland, spokesman for SEIU Local 616. "Measure A bought us time to look at implementing appropriate changes and long-term improvements."

Board of Supervisors President Gail Steele said funds raised from Measure A will not be enough to solve the medical center's problems. The county supervisors appoint the medical center's unpaid Board of Trustees.

"I can't at all blame people for getting upset -- these are their jobs," Steele said. "But our job is the bigger picture of saving the medical center."

Interim CEO Hall was the medical center's ninth CEO in 10 years. Hall choked up when he was asked to speak after his contract was terminated.

"I came here to make a contribution," Hall said. "I would like to continue to do that, but that decision is no longer mine."

Hall's contract will expire May 10.

He had been on the job since September, when former CEO Kenneth Cohen was fired by the trustees amid a dispute with the county Board of Supervisors over the direction of the medical center.

Soon after, five trustees who disagreed with the supervisors over management issues resigned.

Before his promotion to interim CEO, Hall was hospital administrator for inpatient services, which included John George Psychiatric Pavilion.

That inpatient, locked facility is under fire from state and federal regulatory agencies for multiple deficiencies, including failure to implement safe staffing protocols.

In November, a physician, Dr. Erlinda Ursua, was murdered at John George and a female patient has been charged. Ursua's family is suing the county, alleging it violated her civil rights by failing to provide a safe workplace.

Trustee President Ilene Weinreb praised Hall. "I want to thank you, Efton, for your selfless leadership during this difficult time," she said.

The trustees did not cut patient services, but Cleveland said he doubted patients would be unaffected.

"They say they can make the cuts without reducing services -- that's a joke," Cleveland said.

Supervisor Steele said she had to trust that Cambio is making appropriate recommendations. "I think the right thing now is to back them in these decisions," she said. "They have the background in the hospital system."

Contact Rebecca Vesely at rvesely@angnewspapers.com.