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Hospital Lends Space to Black Health Group

Posted on: Thursday, 1 December 2005, 21:00 CST

By Annette Wells, San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.

Dec. 1--A Westside hospital many felt was on the brink of closing has donated office space to an organization attempting to address health gaps between blacks and other ethnic groups.

Diane Woods, executive director of the African American Health Initiative, said she will begin moving into Community Hospital of San Bernardino's Medical Office building in the next couple of weeks.

The building is directly across from the hospital along Medical Center Drive in San Bernardino.

The offices will house the nonprofit's administrative staff.

Woods said AAHI is really close to becoming a corporation, which was its intention for the future.

"I think this is very significant for this community and speaks volumes about the commitment Community Hospital has to it," Woods said.

"Bruce Satzger was very supportive and was consistently offering us the opportunity to work out of this hospital. The current president believes in what we're doing as well."

Community Hospital made headlines last year after it was learned the 321-bed Westside facility was losing about $1 million each month.

The losses were attributed to costs serving the poor and uninsured, higher wages and the rise in medical care.

Rumors spread quickly that Catholic Healthcare West, a San Francisco-based company that manages the hospital, was severing ties with the hospital and possibly on the verge of selling it.

Local leaders held several informational meetings to discuss the hospital's options. The hospital, they said, has been a pillar in the community for decades. It serves nine zip codes.

This year, talks of a possible sale or closure softened as Community Hospital got out of the red. The two sides are currently working on keeping it up and running in today's troubling health-care system.

In June, Satzger, the hospital's president of 10 years, retired and was replaced with Jeffery E. Flocken in the interim.

Flocken said Community Hospital provided about $6 million in charity and uncompensated care in 2001. In 2004, that rose to $24 million.

He said that is a major challenge.

Community Hospital spokeswoman Tobey Robertson said the hospital has been in the black for several months now and that Catholic Healthcare West and the hospitals Board of Directors are continuing talks.

Woods said Community Hospital has also offered the Solarium Room and the Henderson Auditorium for use by AAHI when they are available.

"We do that whenever we can . . . Try to give office space to community groups that perform services related to health care," Robertson said.

"It's part of our community benefits initiative."

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Copyright (c) 2005, San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.

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Source: San Bernardino County Sun

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