North Bay Business Journal

Hospitals across five North Bay counties generate at least $4.9 billion in annual spending and support more than 35,400 jobs, according to a report by the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California.

SEBASTOPOL — Palm Drive Hospital recently laid out is 2014 operating budget, revealing improved financials at the 37-bed hospital while identifying specific goals to improve revenues as the facility continues to chart its way back from fiscal duress.

Value-Based Purchasing is a Medicare program started in January that seeks to hold hospitals accountable for the care they provide.

Last year, Medicare rolled out penalties for hospitals that have too many returning patients within a month.

This chart shows the effect of the two programs combined.

Sonoma-based staffing company Nelson recently opened of a new office in Southern California, the second location to open in that region within the past year. …

The 28 small- and mid-sized business for sale offerings that were sold in Sonoma County last month was a nearly three-fold increase over the same period last year, which saw 10 such transactions, according to BizBen Index. …

Prima Medical Group officially welcomed physicians from Palm Drive Medical Center to its expanding team. …

Santa Rosa-based TriVascular, Inc. recently announced U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval of its Ovation Prime abdominal stent graft system for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. …

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Healthcare District unanimously approved the transition of medical clinic operations across from the 37-bed hospital to the Prima Medical Foundation, a move that could help bolster finances for the cash-strapped hospital.

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Healthcare District on Monday will decide if it should transfer operations of its medical clinic to the Prima Medical Foundation, a move that, if approved, could help the 37-bed hospital bolster its finances while perhaps recruiting new physicians and adding new services.

California Small Business Association announced Leland Fishman, owner of the Petaluma-based Fishman Supply Company, joined its board of directors. …

Mark Friedman, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder and knee arthroscopy and shoulder, hip and knee replacement, has joined the practice of Sebastopol Orthopedics and the medical staff of Palm Drive Hospital. …

The Tug McGraw Foundation appointed Tom Higgins to its board of directors. …

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage announced that Kacie Ricker, senior marketing manager for the company, has been named the new regional vice president of marketing. …

Calix of Petaluma announced the addition of telecommunications industry veteran Kevin DeNuccio to the company’s board of directors. …

Jordan Vineyard & Winery has appointed Greg Miller to the position of director of wine. …

Now that Western Health Advantage formally announced its expansion into the North Bay, existing care providers said the arrival of a new health plan is an important step in providing choice for employers and consumers and will help those involved move toward a more integrated model of care.

It also caps off years of planning among the region’s hospitals and independent physicians, who collectively sought collaborations amid an increasingly competitive, consolidating health care landscape spurred by the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Western Health Advantage formally announced its plan to expand into the North Bay, adding Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties to its roster with hopes of offering a commercial health plan for employers and individuals by Jan. 1.

The Sacramento-based HMO in June only listed Sonoma and Marin counties for expansion, but it later included Napa County.

The Marin-Sonoma IPA announced its name is now Meritage Medical Network, citing a need to identify itself beyond specific geographic areas as it charts future growth while signaling a first step to becoming an accountable care organization, or ACO. …

Mark Zielazinski has joined Marin General Hospital as chief information and technology integration officer and will again be reporting to CEO Lee Domanico, for whom he worked at El Camino Hospital before Mr. Domanico left in 2006. …

The Palm Drive Health Care District recently voted to approve Tom Harlan as Palm Drive Hospital’s new chief executive officer. …

Kaiser Permanente’s Medical Center in Vacaville broke ground last week on a helipad that the hospital said will eventually be the largest to serve Solano County. …

Bill Boerum, currently treasurer of the Sonoma Valley Health Care District and in his sixth year on the board of directors, will be serving another four years because only he and two others filed for the three seats that were up for election this year. …

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Health Care District today unanimously voted to approve Tom Harlan as Palm Drive Hospital’s new chief executive officer, it’s 10th in five years.

Western Health Advantage has filed for an expansion of its business into Marin and Sonoma counties, where it hopes to partner with the Marin-Sonoma IPA and much of the region’s hospitals in offering a new health plan for employers and individuals

On June 12, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors recognized June as National Dairy Month. …

Napa’s AUL Corp., America’s largest national provider of used car service contracts, announced the launch of a new logo and corporate identity. …

Larkspur-based mFoundry, a mobile banking and payments provider, announced Eli Lilly Federal Credit Union launched ELFCUmobile, a full-featured mobile banking solution that includes native mobile applications, mobile Web and SMS/text banking. …

The Marin Home & Garden Expo, presented by the Marin Builders Association, was held the weekend of June 2 and 3 at the Civic Center Fairgrounds, and featured the presentation of the MBA Leadership in Sustainability Awards. …

Wells Fargo announced a $15,000 grant to help Alta Heights Magnet School in Napa replace 30 laptops that were stolen from a classroom over Memorial Day weekend. …

The Stroke Center at Sebastopol’s Palm Drive Hospital has received a Superior Performance award from the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program, a national independent hospital accrediting organization recognized by the federal government. …

Three outpatient clinical programs in Sutter Medical Network, which is Sutter Health’s physician network, recently were recognized for statewide best practices in the California Association of Physician Groups’ annual Standards of Excellence Survey of medical group features and capabilities. …

For the first time in its six-year history, two organizations tied for Nonprofit Organization of the Year in the Napa Community Awards. …

SEBASTOPOL — In its first real budget outlook since aligning with Marin General, Palm Drive Hospital reported improved cash flows while significantly lowering its deficit, all positive develops, though challenges still remain.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital announced recently it would close two clinics in Lake County. … The Northern California Center for Well Being, which focuses on employee wellness throughout Sonoma County, recently entered into a contract with Fairfield-based Partnership Health Plan. … Dr. Bo Greaves of the Santa Rosa Community Health Centers was presented with the 2012 Family Physician of the Year award by the California Academy of Family Physicians. … The board of directors of TriVascular, Inc. appointed Christopher G. Chavez as chairman, CEO and president. … Palm Drive Hospital is expected to make a final decision within the next month on an electronic medical records system that could bring the 37-bed facility in line with its strategic partners while improving care. … The Petaluma Health Care District will host a community forum on health care reform on Thursday, May 3, from 6–8 p.m. … On Saturday, May 5, West County Health Centers will participate in the Sonoma County Human Race.

SEBASTOPOL — Palm Drive Hospital is expected to make a final decision within the next month on an electronic medical records system that could bring the 37-bed facility in line with its strategic partners while improving care.

SEBASTOPOL — The Palm Drive Healthcare District named current Chief Financial Officer Rick Reid as interim chief executive, replacing Charles Guenther, who himself was serving on a three-month interim basis.

SEBASTOPOL — Charles Guenther is acting CEO at Palm Drive Hospital. He has nearly 40 years of experience in the development and management of hospitals, health care systems, health maintenance organizations and related insurance enterprises. He has been a senior executive in large health care organizations, including Sutter Health and Dignity Health (formerly known as Catholic Healthcare West) as well as CEO of a small rural health care system. In addition to serving as a CEO of health care enterprises, he has been a consultant, university professor and a director of many for-profit and not-for-profit corporations.

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 [...]

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.