North Bay Business Journal

Former Marin General chairman Heller cleared in Sutter suit

GREENBRAE — The judge arbitrating a lawsuit to recover more than $120 million transferred out of Marin General Hospital into the Sutter Health system has dropped former Marin General Hospital Corp. board Chairman Robert Heller from the case.

Gains seen for both parties in possible Palm pact

The Palm Drive Healthcare District’s recent vote to begin exclusive negotiations for affiliating with Marin General Hospital has the potential to help the long-struggling Sebastopol hospital stabilize, while creating an expansive network of alliances between numerous district hospitals across the North Bay that might otherwise struggle for survival.

Palm Drive leans toward Marin General affiliation

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Healthcare District last night chose to advance affiliation talks with Marin General Hospital over four other proposals, a move that came earlier than expected.

Prima physicians to provide trauma care, elective surgeries for Marin General

MARIN COUNTY — Prima Medical Group will provide trauma and elective surgeries for Marin General Hospital, marking the first time that all local physicians will deliver such services to the level III trauma center and its patients.

Palm Drive weighing affiliation proposals from five suitors

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Healthcare District has received proposals from five health care organizations for possible affiliation, as the 37-bed hospital overseen by the district seeks a larger entity to assist in providing long-term financial stability.

Palm Drive gets five proposals for affiliation

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Healthcare District has received proposals from five health care organizations for possible affiliation as the 37-bed hospital overseen by the district seeks a larger entity to assist in providing long-term financial stability.

Marin General consulting public on $500 million project environmental report

GREENBRAE — The Marin Healthcare District is preparing to present a report to residents of Marin County as it embarks on the early stages of a massive $500 million rebuild of the 235-bed Marin General Hospital that will bring the aging structure up to state-mandated seismic codes.

Palm Drive to ask for proposals from seven potential partners

SEBASTOPOL — Palm Drive Hospital’s board of directors is set to issue a “request for information” to a group of health care organizations the hospital said could be “potential strategic partners.”

North Bay CFO Awards 2011: David Cox, Marin General Hospital

Fundamentally, we are about providing value to the community. We have to address a variety of issues that affect access to care, infrastructure investments, investments in programs and services and current operating needs. Our role is to balance these demands in a manner that meets community needs and provides a cost effective healthcare delivery system.

Marin General’s Domanico: ‘We defied conventional wisdom’

GREENBRAE — One year removed from a protracted divorce with Sutter Health, officials at Marin General Hospital said the county’s largest health care facility is financially stable and poised to remain on the path of being a successful, independently run hospital.

Marin General, Sonoma Valley set affiliation

GREENBRAE AND SONOMA – Marin General Hospital and Sonoma Valley Hospital have finalized a management services and affiliation agreement, a move both administrations say will help reduce costs while keeping two independent health care districts viable in a land of corporate giants.

Sutter, Marin General sent to arbitration; district may appeal

GREENBRAE — Marin General Hospital is being required to go into arbitration instead of court with its claim against Sutter Health that it improperly transferred more than $120 million out of the hospital, a Marin Superior Court judge ruled.

Health Care Conference registration closes Friday

NORTH BAY — Registration for the Business Journal’s Health Care Conference will close Friday. The event will feature the top California official for the National Federation of Independent Business to discuss the impact of health care reform on small business in the keynote address on Nov. 18. To register, contact Linda Perkins at 707-521-5264 or events@busjrnl.com by Friday, Nov. 12, or go to www.NorthBayBusinessJournal.com.

Top small business expert to address health care conference

NORTH BAY — The top California official for the National Federation of Independent Business will discuss the impact of health care reform on small business in the keynote address for the Business Journal’s annual health care conference Nov. 18.
Following John Kabateck, executive director of NFIB/California, a panel of top North Bay hospital executives will discuss the impacts of reform along with hundreds of millions of dollars in hospital and other projects.
To register, contact Linda Perkins at 707-521-5264 or events@busjrnl.com by Friday, Nov. 12, or go to www.NorthBayBusinessJournal.com.

Sutter calls on Marin General to submit claims to arbitration

GREENBRAE – Sutter Health called on the now independently run Marin General Hospital to submit its claims alleging the Sacramento-based health organization improperly transferred millions of dollars out of the facility to arbitration – the latest development in the ongoing legal saga between the two sides.

Fast Growing Companies in 2010

Three of Sonoma County’s newest tech companies — Raydiance, Enphase Energy and Métier — have widely diverse products: ultra-short pulse lasers, microinverters for the solar industry and project portfolio management software.

BioMarin Pharmaceuticals, the Buck Institute for Age Research and TriVascular are expanding research, products and staff.

Nearly every sector within health care in the North Bay is undergoing rapid expansion, reflecting a nationwide trend that shows little sign of a respite. This is just a sampling of the quickly growing health care companies and providers across the North Bay, from corporate giants to rural clinics.

La Tavola, ProSight, Central Payment add space, markets; Frank-Lin, Kiewit to move to the North Bay: From linen rentals to financial transaction processing to insurance underwriting to alcoholic beverage production to heavy construction, several companies in various industries have relocated or expanded in the North Bay this year.

Hospitals, health centers planning new facilities, expansions

Nearly every sector within health care in the North Bay is undergoing rapid expansion, reflecting a nationwide trend that shows little sign of a respite. Hospitals are expanding or being rebuilt entirely. Outpatient facilities continue to crop up as a broader patient base is sought by some providers. Physicians groups are racing to recruit more doctors to their ranks to ensure purchasing power while maintaining a competitive advantage. And federally qualified health centers, with a significant increase in federal funding and a clearer role in light of health care reform, are consistently doubling in size in an effort to treat an influx of patients. The following is just a sampling of the quickly growing health care companies and providers across the North Bay, from corporate giants to rural clinics.

Amplifications and corrections: Marin Healthcare District at Drakes Landing

Marin Healthcare District expanded operations at Drakes Landing Office Center in Greenbrae. The story “Lease Brings Marin Healthcare District ‘home’” [p. 2, Aug. 16] contained incorrect location information.

Marin General takes Sutter dispute to court

GREENBRAE — The dispute between the Marin Healthcare District and Sutter Health over financial transfers out of Marin General Hospital has risen to a new level. A lawsuit filed last week claims Sutter improperly transferred more than $120 million out of Marin General between 2006 and June 2010, jeopardizing the financial stability and hindering operations at the acute-care hospital after it severed ties with the Marin Healthcare District. [Read the legal complaint and previous coverage of the the Marin General Hospital equity transfers.]

Marin Healthcare District sues Sutter over $120 million in transfers

UPDATED AT 5:05 P.M.: GREENBRAE — The Marin General Hospital Corp. today filed suit against Sutter Health in its attempts to reclaim more than $120 million that was transferred out of the 255-bed hospital since 2006.