Eighty Concerned Community Members Attend "Save Fairmont Hospital" Meeting

On February 13th, approximately 80 people attended a Save Fairmont Campaign meeting sponsored by Vote Health and SEIU Local 616. Several organizations were represented in addition to hospital workers, elected officials, Service League volunteers and Senior Meal participants. The meeting had two purposes: (1) To alert the public about the possible cuts in services at Fairmont (see article on ACMC Budget Deficit), and; (2) To kick-off a campaign working to find funds to rebuild the campus' buildings.

Laura Bice, Acting Senior Staff for Supervisor Keith Carson, outlined for the group what bond measure mechanisms are available that might raise funds dedicated to capital improvement. A majority of hands showed strong support for pursuing this.

The next Save Fairmont meeting will take place during the first hour of our regular Vote Health meeting on February 25th in Oakland. Then on Thursday, February 28th, those who can will gather at the Fairmont Cafeteria at 5:30 pm: if the Alliance for Health meeting at 6 pm has the Medical Center deficit on the budget, we'll carpool to Alameda to make our voices heard. For more information, call Vote Health at 653-1626.

Report From Health Care Options Proposals Symposium

The Health Care Options Project symposium in Oakland, on February 7, was a big occasion for single payer supporters. In the standing-room-only crowd at the Airport Hilton, there were dozens of members from nine affiliates of Health Care for All-California (Vote Health, HCA-LA, HCA-Marin, HCA-SF, HCA-SF-Mid-Peninsula, HCA-Santa Clara County, HCA-Santa Cruz, HCA-West Marin, and Neighbor to Neighbor-SF). Wearing buttons and even single-payer bumper stickers, HCA members heard detailed reports about how the three single payer proposals were superior to the other six options.

Claudia Williams, the consultant who studied the financing in the proposals, reported that single payer can provide universal coverage with the best benefits package and, at the same time, cost less money than is currently spent. John Sheils, The Lewin Group consultant who studied how well the proposals meet quality criteria, reported that the single payer proposals, in category after category, were superior to the other reforms.

In the coming months HCA will work with other organizations to develop a common single payer plan and an organizing campaign. Four years ago HCA began the work to have the state compare a broad range of health care reforms for financing and quality. The goals were to bring single payer back into the California health care debate and to lay the groundwork for a renewed effort to win single payer. It was clear at the symposium that these goals are being realized. To be continued at our Feb. 25th meeting!

Leaflet the movie John Q,
about a father who takes over a hospital when his son is denied care by his HMO. Hollywood's happy ending doesn't cut it - in the real world, it's up to us to demand health care for all! When will our rich country prioritize health needs? Activists around the country are seizing this opportunity to reach the public. Call Margot Smith at 510-496-8010 to get a leaflet to copy and distributeas patrons leave theatres, educating them about realities/possibilities.

Nominations are open for two vacated seats on the Vote Health Executive Board for the remainder of the term, which ends in January, 2003. Those interested in serving on the board must submit the candidate's name during or before the February 25th General Membership Meeting. Elections will take place during the meeting.

Will the Med Center be forced to cut services?

The Alameda County Medical Center Board of Trustees still has an $8 million deficit for fiscal year 2001-2002. The Trustees announced in January that without additional funds they must close the 109-bed Fairmont Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), the Alameda Wellness Clinic and stop supplying medications for psychological illnesses.

The Medical Center is applying for Federally Qualified Health Care funding for hospital-based primary care and specialty clinics. If approved, this would mean a higher reimbursement rate, reducing up to $4 million of this year's debt, and would continue to be a greater source of revenue in future years. The Trustees have also formally requested that: (1) The Alameda County Board of Supervisors cover the remaining deficit of $4 million, and; (2) The Alameda County Alliance for Health create an "indigent care" fund of $2-3 million. All hospitals in the county could apply to this fund; the Medical Center's patient base makes it likely to receive the greatest proportion. If created as an ongoing fund, it would allow the Medical Center to count on this funding stream in its future budget projections, in part addressing its structural deficit.

At least three Board of Supervisors' staff members have committed to looking for $2 million of the request from county coffers; however, with the $14 billion state deficit, the county will not know how great its own deficit is until sometime in March, and cannot promise funds before this.

The Alliance has so far rejected the request for funds. Vote Health has repeatedly voiced concern that providers of care for the Alliance often encourage Medi-Cal patients to use private providers instead of county resources. This system de-stabilizes the Medical Center financially. We urge the Alliance to address this by devoting a proportion of its revenues to the county's health care safety net by creating an indigent fund. Call 653-1626 to join us on February 28th at the Alliance board meeting if the issue is on the agenda.

HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS SPEAK OUT FOR SINGLE PAYER AT PRESS CONFERENCE

While policy presentations were being made inside at the Health Care Options (HCOP) Symposium in Oakland, community members participated in a Vote Health-organized press conference to tell of their experiences with the current health care system and the urgent need for a single payer health care system.

Speakers Catherine Porter of the Women's Cancer Resource Center, Ethel Long-Scott, Executive Director of Women's Economic Agenda Project, and John Iverson of ACT-UP East Bay gave compelling testimony of the severe deficits of our present health care system and the human toll it has taken on members of our community. Each provided an account of incidences of denied, delayed and/or unaffordable care resulting in poor health outcomes.

Judy Spelman, RN, author of Cal-Care, the single-payer option submitted by Health Care for All-California in HCOP, outlined to the crowd how such incidences would not occur under a single payer system.

Newsletter committee:
Nancy M. Friedman, Sue Bergman, Julie Hawthorne, Dan Hodges, Margot Smith, Kevin Reilly, CNA Staff