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Coalition and local speakers press CPMC, urge stronger oversight on charity care, CLAS and Tenderloin access
Summary
Community groups, nurses and former clinicians told the joint Planning and Health commissions that CPMC still falls short on baseline charity care, cultural and linguistic services at St. Luke's Diabetes Clinic, Tenderloin Medi‑Cal outreach and sustained community engagement and urged commissioners not to certify the report without stronger remedial measures.
A coalition of neighborhood groups, nurses and former St. Luke's staff urged the Planning and Health commissions on Dec. 3, 2015, to press CPMC and city departments for firmer remedies to gaps in charity care, cultural and linguistic services and community engagement.
Gordon Marr, representing San Franciscans for Healthcare, Housing, Jobs and Justice, criticized the city's reporting timeline and said the late release shortened public review. "This year's city report is a significant step back from last year's," Marr said, arguing the delay limited community opportunity to respond.
Speakers from the coalition and frontline staff highlighted practical access concerns. Jane Sandoval, a nurse at St. Luke's, said the hospital had replaced bilingual diabetes‑clinic staff with monolingual staff using phone translators, a change she said would reduce quality for Spanish‑speaking patients. Former St. Luke's physician Ken Barnes urged an external peer review of the diabetes clinic and noted longstanding community ties and commitments.
Community advocates also criticized early enrollment in the Tenderloin Medi‑Cal partnership: although the DA requires 1,500 Tenderloin beneficiaries via a Tenderloin provider, DPH reported that 17 beneficiaries had enrolled in the NEMS–St. Anthony's partnership as of Nov. 15, 2015. Coalition members called for funded outreach and stronger enrollment drives.
Several speakers asked that certification be withheld until outstanding items are resolved. "We ask that you not certify this report," Fernando Marti of community housing organizations told commissioners, urging them to consider coalition comments before a determination.
Commissioners acknowledged community concerns and requested additional follow‑up: they asked CPMC for a prompt response to DPH's Nov. 17 request for more CLAS materials and encouraged continued public meetings focused on transportation and access. DPH said it intends to proceed with a peer review targeted at St. Luke's Diabetes Clinic.
The joint hearing closed with agreements to pursue the CLAS response, coordinate outreach for Tenderloin enrollment and calendar the post‑acute care project report in early 2016.
