SOUNDING OFF: Sub-acute patients treated with care

South Coast Medical Center recently announced its decision to transfer patients from the hospital’s sub-acute unit to similar facilities.

While this transition will impact relatively few patients, the move is understandably disconcerting to their families, so we at South Coast are doing everything we can to make the process as smooth as possible.

That being said, it’s not surprising that some family members are appealing the relocation of their loved ones.

But in that well-meaning effort, some inaccurate information has been reported as fact both before the City Council and in the press.

As Chief Nursing Officer for the hospital, I’d like to clarify the decision to phase out South Coast’s sub-acute unit, and how that transition is being handled.

First, the unit’s operations had been under review for quite some time. Upon completion of that analysis, it was determined that largely due to the current health care environment it was no longer possible to provide this service.

This situation, unfortunately, is not unique and reflects much wider challenges facing hospitals in California and the nation. For example, the California Hospital Assn. reports that more than half the state’s hospitals are running at a financial loss, and, according to the Hospital Assn. of Southern California, 40 hospitals in the five-county Southern California region have closed during the last decade.

Once the decision was made, the transfer underwent regulatory review and received approval. Then South Coast staff advised the patients and their families of the impending change, and caregivers met with each of the families or patient representatives individually to discuss the transfer plan and make recommendations for the future.

Care is being taken to best meet the needs of each individual patient to the greatest extent possible.

In considering potential placements, we take into account the clinical needs of each patient, availability of beds in other facilities, the patient’s and their families’ preferences, and the location of each patient’s family or representative.

It’s anticipated that it will take 30 to 60 days for all the patients to be relocated to similar qualified facilities elsewhere in Southern California.

Social workers and other caregivers will be looking at a number of alternatives in an effort to find the best solution for each family.

Under the best of circumstances, having a loved one in a care facility due to debilitating medical conditions is a difficult and emotional experience for all involved, and a change such as this doesn’t make it any easier.

That’s why, although South Coast can no longer sustain its sub-acute unit, our top priority remains ensuring the continued care of the patients who will be transferring out.

I’d like to emphasize that contrary to what has been reported in the local newspapers, no patient will be abandoned during this process. We are doing everything possible to ensure that each resident will be transferred to a facility in which he or she can receive the quality skilled nursing services they need.

The staff of South Coast’s skilled sub-acute unit has been deeply committed to our patients and their families for a long time.

We will continue to be available to those patients, their family members and their representatives and to support them every step of the way until the transition is completed.

ANDREA KOFL is Chief Nursing Officer/COO at South Coast Medical Center.