Dear Editor,
The California state budget crisis will have a major impact on
the San Benito Health Care District and the reimbursement rates we
receive from the state for patients in our skilled nursing
facilities.
Hospital official concerned about reimbursement rates
Dear Editor,
The California state budget crisis will have a major impact on the San Benito Health Care District and the reimbursement rates we receive from the state for patients in our skilled nursing facilities.
The State has proposed to reduce our skilled nursing home Medi-Cal reimbursement rates by 10 percent. This percentage, however, is from the 2009 rates. In reality, this equates to a 25 percent cut in reimbursement on our 2011 rates. The effect on the district will be an annual loss of $2.7 million in net reimbursement for patient care.
This is a serious issue that would require major changes in how the San Benito Health Care District provides long term care services to the community. If the cuts are initiated, we would have no option other than to change or reduce existing services for our long-term care patients.
We encourage San Benito County residents to contact their state and federal elected officials and ask them to continue the current funding levels for our long-term care skilled nursing patients and not cut reimbursement rates.
Ken Underwood, CEO, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital
HDA thanks sponsors, volunteers for another successful cleanup
Dear Editor,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Hollister Downtown Association, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the sponsors and volunteers who helped make our annual Downtown Fall Clean-up effort possible.
Event sponsors included Recology, who donated the use of garbage toters and Santa Barbara Bank & Trust who donated bottles of water for our volunteers.
We had the time and talents of 105 volunteers, who logged in an average of 3 hours each, totaling over 300 hours. These volunteers swept sidewalks, parking lots and alley ways, scraped gum, collected and removed litter and debris and pulled weeds. Volunteer groups included Boy Scout Troop 428, Cub Scout Pack 408, City of Hollister, Girl Scout Troops 23403, 23406, 23411 and 23414, HOPE Services, Inc., the LDS Church, San Benito High School Key club, San Benito County Farm Bureau and Spring Grove School.
A big thank you to these wonderful volunteers.
Brenda Weatherly, HDA executive director
