(STOCKTON, CA) The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors and Dignity Health are pleased to announce that after a year of discussions and negotiations, both parties have agreed to a Management Services Agreement (MSA). Through the MSA, Dignity Health will provide advice and assistance to the County in overseeing management of the day-to-day administration of San Joaquin General Hospital.
About every 10 years the County evaluates relevant public health industry trends to determine if the County should establish a relationship with an external entity to improve the future viability of San Joaquin General Hospital. In 2020, given the extraordinary situation with the pandemic and other external industry indicators, the County decided that exploration of an agreement was warranted.
“The ongoing pandemic has underscored the future vulnerability of a stand-alone public hospital with limited payer sources. It would be irresponsible for the County not to consider an agreement with a strong regional health system,” said San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair Chuck Winn. “A management relationship with Dignity Health would help San Joaquin General Hospital better meet its obligations financially, provide continued quality health care, conduct its operations more efficiently, and expand services for its residents. This will help ensure San Joaquin County residents can access essential services well into the future.”
In February of 2020, the County began its regular evaluation by issuing a Request for Information and forming an Ad Hoc Hospital Committee to engage in informal discussions to explore possibilities with an external health care provider. As a result of numerous meetings with several health systems, the Ad Hoc Hospital Committee found that it would be in the County’s best interest to pursue a formal agreement with Dignity Health. On February 9, 2021, the San Joaquin Board of Supervisors approved a Letter of Intent with Dignity Health to pursue a potential agreement.
“This agreement between San Joaquin General Hospital and Dignity Health represents the alignment of two exceptional organizations with mutual missions of serving vulnerable populations while maintaining and enhancing access to care and improving the health of the communities we serve. We look forward to working together and forming lasting relationships with the San Joaquin County community to make a difference in peoples’ lives,” said Donald Wiley, President & CEO, Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center.
About San Joaquin General Hospital
Established in 1857, San Joaquin General Hospital (SJGH) and its related clinics together form the basis for the County’s safety-net health care system with 65 percent of its patients utilizing Medicare or Medi-Cal. Additionally, SJGH provides the County with critical health care services as a level-II trauma center and a graduate medical education program that seeks to encourage graduates to continue to stay and serve County residents.
About Dignity Health
With hospitals, clinics, urgent care, and home health in Arizona, California, and Nevada, Dignity Health is dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. Dignity Health is a part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit health system committed to advancing health for all people and serving the common good.
Information about the MSA can be found at this LINK.
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