North Bay Business Journal

Wellpoint, Anthem to put higher premium on primary care

NORTH BAY — WellPoint Inc., the nation’s largest health insurance company and parent of Anthem Blue Cross, said it will pay physicians a higher reimbursement rate for primary care, a move aimed at reducing overall costs by rewarding preventative and quality care while hopefully addressing a nationwide physician shortage.

Bills mandating coverage for mental, other illness pass assembly

CALIFORNIA — Two recently passed state Assembly bills will require private health insures to cover the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and developmental disorders such as autism

Sutter, nurses’ union agree on contract

SANTA ROSA — Registered nurses and Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa have reached a tentative agreement for a new collective bargaining contract for some 350 RNs represented by the California Nurses Association, the union announced today.

Nurses, NUHW hold daylong Kaiser strike

NORTH BAY — The National Union of Healthcare Workers is holding a day-long strike at Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout Northern California, including hospitals in Santa Rosa, San Rafael, Vallejo and Vacaville, as the union negotiates a new contract with the health system.

Medical-device maker Sanovas picks Sausalito for production

SAUSALITO — Sanovas Inc. plans to expand its corporate headquarters in Marin County’s southernmost city to include a manufacturing operation for early production of key components used in its microsurgical devices, used in diagnosing and treating cancer and other chronic diseases.

People: Week of Jan. 30, 2012

Click here for photo gallery Health Care The Northern California Center for Well-Being has hired Annette Zucconi as its new operations manager as part of its leadership team. Ms. Zucconi has dedicated over 20 years to non-profit community education work and brings a breadth of curriculum development, contract and program management experience to the Center [...]

Sanovas plans Sausalito expansion for production

SAUSALITO — Sanovas Inc. today announced it will expand its corporate headquarters in Marin County’s southernmost city and start local assembly of key components for its microsurgical devices, used in diagnosing and treating cancer and other chronic diseases. The startup plans to hire 20 locally this year.

Business news: Week of Jan. 16, 2012

Cosmetics Assemblymember Jared Huffman will present his December Sustainable North Bay Award to Renaissance House of Beauty for its environmentally responsible products and business practices. In 2009, Renaissance became the first “green” certified hair and beauty salon in Marin County. For Renaissance, being green means being environmentally conscious about the products they use and retail, [...]

St. Joseph’s Annadel Medical Group adds seven physicans

SONOMA COUNTY — St. Joseph Health System announced that seven physicians recently joined the Annadel Medical Group in Sonoma County, bringing the total number of physicians in the foundation that contract with Santa Rosa Memorial and Petaluma Valley hospitals to 43.

2011 top stories: New hospital, tech advances define year of the economy

The national and local economy was on everyone’s mind in 2011. But as the Business Journal editorial staff set out to develop its Top Ten Stories of the Year, it quickly became clear that the North Bay was blessed with multiple economy-boosting projects and new commitments job creation.

Employers urged to prepare in 2012 for health care reform

NORTH BAY — Nearly two years after its passage, health care reform and much of its measures hang in the balance of what promises to be a politically charged U.S. Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the individual mandate requiring individuals to purchase health insurance. But while politicos and pundits await the decision and its implications, health insurance experts in the North Bay said most of the reforms are here to stay, even in the event that the mandate is struck down.

Partnership HealthPlan sets big employment push

FAIRFIELD — Partnership HealthPlan of California said it is undergoing a significant expansion that includes plans to grow its 280-person workforce by as much as 30 percent through 2014, while having created over 60 jobs in 2011.

Oculus to raise $2 million in stock offering

PETALUMA — Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCLS) today said it has received commitments to purchase aboout $2 million company stock in a registered direct offering set to close next week.

Buck names new chairman

NOVATO –The board of trustees at the Buck Institute for Research and Aging appointed James Edgar as chairman, effective Jan. 1.

Palm Drive affiliates with Marin General

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Healthcare District on Monday night unanimously approved an affiliation agreement with Marin General Hospital, a move that district officials hope will help Palm Drive Hospital achieve long-term financial stability.

Sonoma County moves closer to smokeless

SONOMA COUNTY — The first provisions of Sonoma County’s smoke-free law went into effect in early December, a move viewed by proponents as both a critical step in making the county healthier as well as a relatively rare achievement for a county.

REACH expanding Texas base partnership

SANTA ROSA — REACH Air Medical Services and Methodist Healthcare announce the expansion of their partnership providing emergency helicopter service to include a second base in Pearsall, Texas, called Methodist AirCare 2.

Health Care: BloodSource leases space for permanent facility

BloodSource, a Sacramento area-based blood supplier of hospitals in Central and Northern California, has leased nearly 7,200 square feet at 3505 Industrial Drive in Santa Rosa, which will be the company’s permanent location for Sonoma County. … OffSiteCare, a telemedicine company founded by Sebastopol physician Dr. James Gude, has opened a central hub in San Francisco, where it it intends to provide nighttime hospitalist and specialist consultations for seven Northern California Hospitals, including several in the North Bay, the company said. … Daymon Doss, the current executive director of the Northern California Health Care Authority and former Petaluma Healthcare District CEO, has taken a three-month consulting job as interim executive director of the Mt. Diablo Health Care District in eastern Contra Costa County. … Marin Commuinty Clinics was awarded $460,000 by the Marin County Board of Supervisors to help adults suffering from the onset of serious psychiatric illness, along with other mental health services. … Napa County has selected San Diego-based McAlister Institute to operate a short-term residential and detox center on the campus of Napa State Hospital.

Q&A: Rob Davenport, Wells Fargo Insurance Services

Rob Davenport recently joined Wells Fargo Insurance Services as a wellness consultant to its employee benefits offices throughout California. He previously worked on implementing large-scale wellness approaches for employers like the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Pacific Coast Companies, Inc., among many others. Most recently, he was the wellness program manager for NASA at the Johnson Space Center. All told, he’s been working in the wellness field for the past 25 years.

Mr. Davenport recently shared his thoughts with the Business Journal, particularly on how wellness can have an impact on employers health insurance rates.

Marin’s MMPC expands space as service needs grow

NOVATO — With continually rising health care costs, independent physician practices and groups are searching for more efficient, money-saving tools to help them manage their businesses and comply with government regulations, and a Marin County company is enjoying rapid growth providing a high-tech solution.