Sale to Prime Approved
February 2015
Dear St. Francis Members:
Today we learned California Attorney General Kamala Harris approved the sale of Daughters of Charity to Prime Healthcare Services, with strict conditions. We are extremely disappointed with the Attorney General's decision. For years, we have been fighting Prime to protect patients and improve working conditions, and we will not stop doing so with today's decision. Public sources are stating Prime has not yet accepted the Attorney General’s conditions.
While the sale has been approved, it was done with strict conditions, including:
- For ten years Prime must operate St. Francis as an acute care hospital and offer emergency services.
- For ten years Prime must be certified to participate in the Medi-Cal and Medicare programs and have or maintain Medi-Cal managed care contracts at St. Francis.
- Prime must continue to provide essential health care services at St. Francis, including reproductive health care services.
- Prime must continue to provide charity care and community benefits at historical levels.
- Prime will assume and guarantee all pension obligations covering approximately 17,000 current and retired employees.
- Prime must revise its policies, tools, procedures, guidelines and training materials for its debt collection practices to ensure it does not violate state and federal debt collection laws and regulations.
Over the next few days, we will be working with Assemblyman Anthony Rendon to ensure compliance moving forward.
In solidarity,
Ken Deitz, RN
President