Board sets June 14 committee hearing on Laguna Honda recertification; supervisors request weekly patient updates

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted May 24 to convene as a committee of the whole on June 14 to hear the Department of Public Health's strategy for recertifying Laguna Honda Hospital and the required plan for closure, patient transfer and relocation if recertification is not achieved.

Supervisor Melgar brought the motion to set the June 14 hearing; the motion was approved without objection. Supervisors said they want regular, detailed updates on patient census, planned discharges and the locations where patients would be transferred if necessary.

Supervisor Preston, whose district includes the facility, asked the Department of Public Health to provide the board with de-identified weekly reports on discharges and remaining patient census prior to the June 14 hearing, and to track out-of-county placements and receiving facilities. Supervisor Mar also asked that the board receive clear information about where patients would be relocated if transfers are required.

Why it matters: Laguna Honda is the city's long-term care hospital for frail and complex patients; losing Medicare and Medi-Cal certification would require temporary relocation of patients and could place vulnerable residents far from their families. Supervisors said the June 14 hearing must provide actionable detail from DPH and its consultants about steps to obtain recertification and to minimize patient transfers.

Next steps: The board will hold the committee-of-the-whole public hearing on June 14, 2022; supervisors requested the Department of Public Health provide regular status updates on discharges, remaining census and transfer destinations in advance of that hearing.