March 8th, 2012
KION Central Coast News: NUHW Calls for SVMH Board Members to Resign, In Light of Audit
By Tom Jones, KION SALINAS, Calif. — The National Union of Healthcare Workers is calling for two Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) Board Members to step down, in light of the California State Auditor’s report released Thursday. The audit report claimed that SVMH has a lack of transparency and numerous instances of conflcts of interest […]
March 7th, 2012
Caregivers conduct info picket at Doctors Medical Center San Pablo
Today, workers at Doctors Medical Center San Pablo conducted an informational picket a their hospital. Workers are calling for fair wages and benefits. Caregivers are also pointing out that management is paying nearly $60,000 per month for the services of an executive from Wellspring Partners, an out-of-state management consulting firm with origins in the Enron […]
March 6th, 2012
Doctors San Pablo Caregivers to Picket Hospital Tomorrow
What: Informational picket* Where: Doctors Medical Center San Pablo, 2000 Vale Road, San Pablo, 94806 When: Wednesday, March 7, 11:30am to 1:30pm Visuals: Caregivers marching in front of hospital with picket signs and bullhorns San Pablo, California – Members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) at Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo will […]
March 5th, 2012
Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital Workers Endorse Sergio Sanchez for Supervisor
Salinas, California – Members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) unanimously voted on Friday to endorse Salinas City Council Member Sergio Sanchez for Monterey County Supervisor. As both Council Member and as District Director to Assembly Member Luis Alejo, Sanchez played an indispensable role in bringing the […]
March 1st, 2012
Sacramento Business Journal: Kaiser ordered to stop denying access to some therapies
Kathy Robertson, Senior Staff Writer – Sacramento Business Journal
Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 6:43am PST
State regulators have ordered Kaiser Permanente to stop denying members access to physical, occupational and speech therapy services.
The cease-and-desist order — issued Monday by the California Department of Managed Health Care — follows member complaints that Kaiser denies coverage for these services for non-physical conditions such as developmental delays, stuttering and autism without determining medical necessity.
“Kaiser Health Plan’s policy to deny physical, occupational and speech therapy services for non-physical conditions is not permitted under the Knox-Keene Act,” Anthony Manzanetti, DMHC’s chief of enforcement, said in a news release. “The DMHC is taking this action to ensure Kaiser follows the law.”
The DMHC action was applauded Tuesday by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents more than 2,200 psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapist and other mental health clinicians in California.
The union — which is in the midst of contentious contract negotiations with Kaiser — released a report in November that blasts Kaiser for denying patient care for certain mental health conditions.
“DMHC’s action reinforces what we’ve been saying for months about Kaiser’s failure to provide its patients with timely and appropriate mental health services,” Clem Papazian, a licensed clinical social worker who works for Kaiser in Oakland, said in a statement.