The Sutter Corporation threatens the lives of children by announcing plans to close down the prenatal unit at St. Lukes Hospital.
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by Bruce Allison/PNN St. Lukes hospital opened its doors in 1870 as San Francisco's second hospital. Its founder, Reverend, Dr. Thomas Brotherton said, "St. Lukes is to be a charitable hospital for the reception of all colors, nationalities, and creeds. Its benefits, refused to none, will be limited only by its means." Now Brotherton's words echo in our minds as Sutter Corporation announces more closures within the hospital. St. Lukes was taken over by Sutter in 2000, supposedly to save it from bankruptcy. This was not their real intention. From the beginning, they cut staff to the bare minimum. Sutter fought the state over staffing positions, as they sought to decrease the number of nurses per bed to fifteen patients per nurse—below the state minimum. (Four patients per nurse is the state minimum.) Nurse staffing levels at St. Lukes were up to as many as thirty patients per nurse. Sutter did not want to go 15. They had their lobbyists in Sacramento working to raise this. Now Sutter is planning to shut down their prenatal unit on February 15th. On February 13th, the Senior Action Network (SAN) is organizing a protest. SAN believes the closing of the prenatal unit is immoral and unprofessional. Why is Sutter targeting the ones who cannot fight back? Premature babies need constant attention, so where will these babies go now? SAN will hold a sit-in along with other organizations such as, Planning for Elders in the Central City, Grey Panthers and Health Care for All. As a senior myself, I realize that the closing of the prenatal unit is the first indicator of future cuts in healthcare that the community cannot afford. It is the beginning of a series of events that will lead to the closing of the whole hospital and eventually for all of Sutter's hospitals in the city. Sutter is planning to close all San Francisco hospitals to open a central hospital on Van Ness between Geary and O'Farrell, which is presently a hotel. Hospitals threatened with closures include: Presbyterian Hospital, Ralph K. Davies Hospital, Franklin Hospital and Children's Hospital. Sutter is planning to build a gigantic hospital. The Sutter Corporation pays its executives big money to save money, yet they consider themselves a non-profit. They call it 'future revenue.' On the eve of Valentine's Day It's time to ask Sutter CPMC Where is the Love? La noche antes de el dia de San Valentine For more information, www.senioractionnetwork.org |