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Board schedules Jan. 31 committee hearing on Laguna Honda recertification and transfer plan
Summary
The board set a Committee of the Whole hearing for Jan. 31 to review Laguna Honda Hospital’s federal recertification status, fines and the hospital’s plan for patient transfer and relocation; supervisors said the state CMS action and pending city attorney correspondence require follow-up.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to convene as a Committee of the Whole on Jan. 31 to hear an update from the Department of Public Health on Laguna Honda Hospital’s recertification strategy and any patient transfer and relocation plans the department must submit to federal officials.
Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who requested the hearing, told colleagues the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has imposed fines and that the City Attorney had sent a letter seeking formal steps from CMS before resuming transfers. The hearing will ask DPH to present the list of deficiencies, the action plan to correct them, and to answer questions about CMS direction and the hospital’s operations.
Why it matters: Laguna Honda is San Francisco’s long-term care hospital serving older and medically vulnerable residents; federal recertification determines CMS funding and allowable operations. The board said it needs public oversight because earlier transfers and staffing changes were linked to patient harm, and because future transfers could displace a fragile population.
Board action: Motion to schedule a Committee of the Whole hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023, at 3 p.m., to review Laguna Honda’s recertification strategy and any closure/transfer plan passed 11–0. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman was added as a co-sponsor.
Discussion points - Supervisor Melgar said the board will likely require additional follow-up hearings after Jan. 31 because certain documents and action plans from DPH may not be ready in time. - Melgar noted a City Attorney letter to CMS asking for clarity on any pause or direction related to transfer activity, and reminded colleagues that CMS has assessed fines related to prior transfers.
What’s next: The Department of Public Health has been asked to present a list of deficiencies, a corrective-action plan, and to answer questions from supervisors about how transfers will be handled and how patient safety will be protected. The board signaled it will reconvene for further oversight once materials are available.
Speakers quoted - "We will probably need at least a couple more meetings on this issue... CMS assessed fines on the transfers that they forced us to do," Supervisor Myrna Melgar (District 7).
Ending: The Jan. 31 Committee of the Whole hearing will give the board a public forum to press DPH on the timeline and details of recertification and any patient transfer strategy; supervisors said they expect to continue oversight until outstanding deficiencies are resolved.
