San Joaquin General Hospital Position Paper

By Sandra K. Davis

There are a number of health care factors in the county associated with the hospital. Nearly a third of all births in the county are performed at San Joaquin General Hospital. With a county population of over 600,000, it does not take one long to understand the value of a facility such as San Joaquin General Hospital. The network of clinics and healthcare programs necessary for the delivery of preventive and continuous healthcare are an important asset for the community.

The county has an obligation to care for individuals that seek healthcare and are unable to pay for the care they receive. On the other hand, the county can and should actively seek payment for healthcare provided to individuals with the ability to pay.

An inclusive design of such a healthcare system is possible using a planned blueprint for a future that includes health and wellness as a quality of life indicator for San Joaquin County. The community values health. and as a part of the fabric of a future vision for the health and well being of San Joaquin County, San Joaquin General Hospital needs to be included in the long range blueprint for the health and safety of the public.

As a prospective member of the Board of Supervisors, I support universal healthcare. As your representative, I would lead and listen for ways to increase San Joaquin General Hospital's worth for the community.
1. Strengthen academic and service value that the hospital provides for the community.
2. Collect money owed to the agency.
3. Identify new revenue sources.
4. Establish critical action list designed to identify immediate issues of concern.
5. Create a blueprint plan for San Joaquin General Hospital that matches municipal plans in progress to encourage forward thinking instead of crisis management for the hospital.
6. Partner with community public management experts to keep the operations on successful target reducing cost for the county in the future.
7. Market the hospital and campus as an essential service for the community.
8. Review any counter productive intervention that reduces the census of San Joaquin General below 100 patients per day.