A monthly update by Michelle Blackwell, Chair, Richmond Chamber Government Relations Committee.

Eric Zell, the Chairman of the Board for the West Contra Costa County Health Care District, was the guest speaker at the Chamber’s February Government Relations Committee meeting. We invited him to talk about the proposed parcel tax of .14 cents per square foot that they are proposing to keep Doctors’ Hospital open. We learned that Doctors was created by a public vote (as Brookside) in 1948 to serve West County residents and with the exception of a few years in the 90’s, has operated as a public hospital. The hospital, under duress, has cut services and programs to the bare bones over the last decade. That said, it has kept its emergency room open and up to date. Doctors is the trauma center for heart attacks and strokes and even Kaiser sends its patients to Doctors for care. Doctors has 2/3 of the emergency hospital beds in West County. The remaining 1/3 are at Kaiser Richmond. Doctors emergency room sees 30,000 patients a year or about 100 a day. If it were to close the patients would need to be diverted to other hospitals in Berkeley, Martinez, and Walnut Creek. The reason the hospital is fiscally upside down is that they serve the majority of the under insured patients in West County.

To prevent emergency room gridlock, the State, Contra Costa County, Kaiser, and John Muir have all provided funding to keep Doctor’s open in the past, but the trickling nature and uncertainty of these funds do not make the hospital fiscally sound. Doctors has sought partners and other buyers to come in and take over the hospital – but unfortunately as long as it is not sound – no one wants it. The parcel tax is designed to put the hospital on a sound foundation so that it can focus on taking advantage of the partnership opportunities encouraged through the Affordable Care Act. I would assume that as more uninsured become insured, that too will help get Doctors on more solid ground. The Government Relations Committee recommended to the Chamber Board to support the parcel tax.

The Chamber also sent out a survey to members regarding the minimum wage increase. Early returns show that about 50% are against it, 40% are for it, and 10% are equivocal. If you have not responded to the survey, dig it out of your email and let us know your thoughts.

We will see you at the next Government Relations meeting on Tuesday, March 11th, where we will be discussing the new sign ordinance, etc.