North Bay Business Journal

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.

Major private construction projects on tap in 2012

A number of major private-sector construction projects will be under way or are set to begin in 2012: Grady Ranch, San Rafael; Madera Vista, Corte Madera; East Washington Place, Petaluma; Marin County Emergency Operations Facility, San Rafael; Safeway expansion, Petaluma; Bell Village, Windsor; Multitenant warehouse, Napa; Kaiser data center expansion, Napa; The Barlow, Sebastopol; and Napa Century Center, Napa.

Petaluma Health Center: A welcoming new place for doctor and patient

PETALUMA — When the Petaluma Health Center opened the doors to its brand new, 52,000-square-foot location this June, an immediate impact was felt by both staff and patients working in and getting treatment at the federally qualified health center.

North Bay groups among recipients of Kaiser grants

As part of an investment of more than $5.1 million by Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Community Benefit, four local organizations received funding to increase access to chronic disease management, enhance health screenings, and improve prevention of heart disease and stroke.

Kaiser Permanente: ‘Live Well Be Well’ increases participation

Kaiser Permanente, the largest private sector employer in Marin and Sonoma counties with over 4,200 employees between the two, has a simple, straight forward to campaign to its patients: Thrive. Its wellness effort toward employees is similarly simple — Live Well Be Well — and it has a 75 percent participation rate among its vast number of employees and physicians.

Kaiser opens pediatrics unit in Rohnert Park

ROHNERT PARK — Kaiser Permanente’s Santa Rosa Medical Center recently expanded its pediatrics department to its medical offices at 5900 State Farm Dr. in Rohnert Park.

Business Journal names Healthiest Companies award winners

NORTH BAY — The Business Journal selected recipients for its inaugural Healthiest Companies Recognition Awards with winners to be honored at the North Bay Business Journal’s 2011 Health Care Conference.

Profiles of the winners will appear in a special publication supplementing the Nov. 28 issue, and winners will be honored at the Business Journal’s annual Health Care Conference on Nov. 30 at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek in Santa Rosa.

Kaiser gets trauma designation at Vacaville hospital

VACAVILLE — Kaiser Permanente’s Vacaville Medical Center received official approval by the Solano County Emergency Medical Services Agency to provide level III trauma services.

Kaiser Medicare plans in California receive top ratings

CALIFORNIA — Kaiser Permanente said today that two of its Medicare plans in California received an overall rating of five stars from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the year 2012.

NUHW, nurses unions strike at Kasier, Sutter facilities

NORTH BAY — Union employees at Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout the state were joined by the California Nurses Association in staging a strike to protest proposed cuts in benefits.

NorthBay Healthcare gets trauma designation in Solano County

FAIRFIELD — NorthBay Medical Center has been named Solano County’s first trauma center after a five-member assessment team on Sept. 9 evaluated the emergency services and trauma support systems and found that the program passed muster.

NUHW, nurses union threaten Kaiser with strike

NORTH BAY — The National Union of Healthcare Workers has issued official notice to Kaiser Permanente that its 4,000 workers across the state intend on to hold strikes next week starting Sept. 21 because of disagreements over ongoing contract negotiations.

Kaiser gives $400,000 to Marin, Sonoma nonprofits

SANTA ROSA — Kaiser Permanente said it has given grants totaling $400,000 to 30 local nonprofits as a means of improving the health of communities in Marin and Sonoma counties.

Kaiser administration in San Rafael to relocate

SAN RAFAEL – Kaiser Permanente’s San Rafael Administration team will soon relocate from its existing location at 1600 Los Gamos Road, crossing over Highway 101 to 100 Smith Ranch Rd., where it has leased nearly 25,000 square feet of space.

Santa Rosa nonprofit gets $1 million Kaiser grant to fight obesity

SANTA ROSA — Kaiser Permanente has given a $1 million grant to the Community Activity and Nutrition Coalition of Sonoma County to help curb obesity and promote healthful eating in the Kawana Springs and Roseland neighborhoods of south Santa Rosa.

NorthBay Healthcare expects trauma center by September

SOLANO COUNTY — Solano County has never had a hospital designated as a trauma center, a rarity given its size, but it could have two by the end of this year. Both NorthBay Healthcare in Fairfield and Kaiser Permanente in Vacaville have filed plans with the county to open level III trauma centers, each with the stated intent of providing first-rate emergency care while lessening the need to send seriously injured patients out of county.

NLRB: Re-run of union elections at Kaiser

NORTH BAY — The National Labor Relations Board has issued an order that will lead to a re-run of an election held in the fall of 2010 for some 43,500 employees of Kaiser Permanente in California.

NLRB judge finds Kaiser election flawed

WASHINGTON — The largest union vote to take place in over 70 years may have to be done all over again, after an administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board recommended the results between two quarreling unions be set aside.

Spotlight on Facilities Managers in the North Bay

Editor’s note: This is the Business Journal’s first Spotlight on Facilities Managers in the North Bay. According to the International Facility Management Association, professionals in this job usually are responsible for compliance with laws and regulations on real estate, efficient operations of buildings to limit waste in natural and human resources, safety for employees and environmental sustainability.

“People, place, process, technology,” is the association’s catchphrase for such a position. The following are facility managers identified from among the largest public and private North Bay employers.

Kaiser to undertake $30 million expansion of Napa data center

NAPA — Kaiser Permanente will soon undertake a $30 million renovation and expansion of its data center, adding 54,000 square feet to the remote building in Napa Valley Corporate Park.