The RNs, members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United have been calling on the County to step up to the plate and assume responsibility for management and operation of the hospital and its emergency room as a full service hospital. The facility could close as soon as July. The Board meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the county administration building, 651 Pine St. in Martinez. CNA RNs have stepped up a widespread community effort to keep the hospital open and have it run by the county as essential to protecting access to critical hospital and emergency services in West Country Costa County. RNs note that DMC provides 60 percent of the emergency care in the region, some 40,000 patients a year and has 79 percent of the hospital beds.

A bill to step up efforts to prevent workplace violence in California hospitals took a major step forward today by winning approval in the California State Senate, making it the third significant legislation sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United to win approval over the last two days. SB 1299, the Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention Act introduced by Senator Alex Padilla, would require that hospitals establish workplace violence prevention plans including strong personnel education and planning programs and systems to assess and mitigate factors that contribute to violence in the hospital.

Landmark legislation to break insurance network restrictions passes key vote. A major bill that sets a new national standard for breaking through rigid restrictions on patient choice of doctors, hospitals and other medical providers set by insurance companies won approval in the California Assembly.

Public demands on county to save vital hospital grows at packed Richmond town hall. Campaign to access funds from 6.5 % increase in tax revenue builds for June 3 Supervisor meeting. As West Contra Costa residents gear up for the second of three town hall meetings this Thursday in Hercules.

RNs call to keep full services open as daughters of charity chain seeks buyer without commitment to community. Registered nurses, joined by local community leaders, are calling on public officials to demand the Daughters of Charity Health System be held to its pledge to protect critical hospital services at St. Vincent Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles and several other facilities. For more than a year, Daughters of Charity has been actively soliciting a buy-out partner while failing to make any commitments to the communities served by Daughters hospitals that full services will be maintained.