EDMONDS, Wash.The governing board of Stevens Hospital in Edmonds approved a 30-year lease agreement with Swedish Health Services of Seattle, expected to go into effect this summer. Swedish will lease and assume management of the 136-bed hospital, pending regulatory approval. Stevens Hospital is governed by a board of commissioners for Public Hospital District No. 2 of Snohomish County, Wash. Swedish intends to invest $150 million for expanded services, electronic health records and facility upgrades at the 46-year-old hospital as part of the deal. The details of capital investments in facility expansions will be developed this year and next. The investments are in addition to fair-market-value monthly lease payments, which will be used by the district for resident health. 'We are excited about this partnership, said Cal Knight, president and chief operating officer of Swedish, in a written statement. 'Stevens and Swedish have worked together for 18 years to make specialty healthcare more accessible and convenient for the residents of South Snohomish County, so it makes sense to collaborate more closely.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.Thirteen California hospitals have been fined a total of $650,000 for policy and procedural failures that endangered patients or caused their deaths. John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Indio, received four penalties, totaling $100,000, for failures in nursing staff competency, patient monitoring, and the safe administration of medications. One penalty resulted from the death of a 2-day-old baby from meningitis, septic shock and acute hypoglycemia, according to state records. The following hospitals received one penalty each: California Hospital Medical Center, Los Angeles; Sharp Grossmont Hospital, La Mesa; Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach; Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, Oakland; Los Angeles Community Hospital of Norwalk; Marina Del Rey Hospital, Los Angeles; San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center; Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose; Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego; St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton; University of California San Diego Medical Center; and Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. The incidents occurred in 2008 and 2009. Last year, the per-penalty fine rose to $50,000 from $25,000. The California Public Health Department has issued 134 penalties to 90 hospitals since given the authority to do so in 2007.
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