ALAMEDA, Calif., Nov. 27, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alameda Health System (AHS) and Alameda Hospital announced that their agreement to affiliate was approved by both the AHS Board of Trustees and the City of Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors. The approval comes five months after the signing of the Letter of Intent, and following a due diligence process carried out by both AHS and Alameda Hospital, including numerous public forums held to present the proposed affiliation to the Alameda community, answer questions, and gather feedback.
Alameda Hospital joins a growing network of AHS providers, which currently include Fairmont Hospital, Highland Hospital, John George Psychiatric Hospital, San Leandro Hospital, and four community wellness centers, including two locations in Oakland and one each in Hayward and Newark.
While both institutions work on the transition, which is expected to take several months, preparations are underway for Alameda Hospital to begin providing outpatient surgical services to AHS patients starting as early as December 2013, followed by service to medical inpatients starting in January 2014.
"This marks another significant milestone in Alameda Health System's vision for expanded access to quality, affordable care throughout the East Bay," said Wright Lassiter, III, Chief Executive Officer of AHS. "Alameda Hospital will continue to support the health care needs of the community through its provision of quality care by world-class providers who are close to home."
"This affiliation will ensure that Alameda Hospital will remain an acute care hospital with an emergency room now and into the future," said Alameda Hospital CEO, Deborah E. Stebbins. "We have worked diligently to create an affiliation that meets the needs of our patients and our community. We're looking forward to making a transition that results in improved access and quality of care for residents in Alameda and our neighboring communities."
AHS will provide funding for facility improvement, new technology, and state-mandated seismic upgrades that will ensure the continuation of an acute care hospital serving the City of Alameda. The Alameda Health Care District Board, which owns Alameda Hospital, will retain ownership of real property and lease holds, and will delegate operational and governance responsibility to AHS. Parcel tax revenues will be used for the operation of and long term capital investments in Alameda Hospital.
About Alameda Health System (AHS)
Alameda Health System, a major public health care provider headquartered in Oakland, California, is recognized as a world-class patient and family centered system of care with more than 3,800 employees and 800 physicians. Their facilities include Highland Hospital, a major regional trauma center and teaching hospital; San Leandro Hospital, which provides emergency and in-patient hospital care services; John George Psychiatric Hospital, an acute and emergency care facility in San Leandro; Fairmont Hospital, an acute rehabilitation hospital and skilled nursing facility, also in San Leandro; and four ambulatory wellness centers in Oakland as well as in Newark and Hayward.
About Alameda Hospital
Alameda Hospital is a general acute-care medical facility, governed by the City of Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors. The hospital provides a full range of emergency care, inpatient and ancillary/outpatient services, long term care, and wellness services. The 281-bed facility has nearly 200 board-certified physicians on staff. The Board of Directors, physicians, employees and volunteers are committed to providing the community with quality, compassionate and personalized health care.
