Supervisors, clinicians and families press CPMC over planned closure of St. Luke’s subacute and skilled nursing units

San Francisco supervisors, doctors, nurses and dozens of family members pressed CPMC and city agencies on July 26 over the hospital owner’s plan to close the subacute and skilled nursing units at St. Luke’s Hospital, a move city officials said would eliminate the city’s remaining subacute beds and force some patients to relocate out of county.

At the hearing, Chair Supervisor Ronan and co-sponsor Supervisor Safae said the planned closure — which the city has been told will take effect Oct. 31, 2017 — would displace vulnerable patients and staff. Ronan said the closure “will impact and displace 44 vulnerable patients and 72 employees,” and that reports indicate some patients could be sent “as far away as Sacramento.” He added, “We need a plan and we need it now.”

The Department of Public Health cautioned that the agency has limited authority to compel a private hospital to keep licensed skilled nursing beds. Colleen of DPH told the committee, “There really isn't anything within DPH's power to ... make any demands on CPMC with regard to those beds,” and noted that bed licensing rests with the state and that the development agreement governing the…