Workers rally as Seton Medical Center struggles to find a buyer
Caregivers and local officials rallied outside Seton Medical Center in Daly City on Feb. 12 demanding that Verity Health Systems, the hospital’s owner, be transparent about the hospital’s prospective sale and possible closure.
The rally, organized by the California Nurses Association and attended by NUHW members, comes as Verity has failed in its attempt to finalize the sale of Seton Medical Center and Seton Coastside in Moss Beach. These hospitals provide critical services to underserved communities in Northern San Mateo County.
Nurses announced the rally after Verity skipped an emotional Feb. 8 Town Hall meeting in Daly City during which more than 200 community members and caregivers called for Seton Medical Center to remain open.
“Seton Medical Center is critical in north San Mateo County,” said Supervisor David Canepa in a CNA news release.
“The closure of the hospital would devastate patients and would devastate those who work there. Verity needs to find a buyer as soon as possible.”
Verity declared bankruptcy in 2018, and a deal to sell Seton and several other Verity hospitals all but collapsed in December, leaving it with just a few anticipated months of operating funds, according to SF Weekly. Another potential buyer, Apollo Medical Holdings, has emerged but there is concern it could take months for the offer to be accepted — time that Seton might not have before it runs out of funds.
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