North Bay Business Journal

Santa Rosa Community Health Centers new site to serve homeless

SANTA ROSA — The Santa Rosa Community Health Centers last week celebrated the opening of the Brookwood Health Center, its newest location that will provide primary care and mental health services for mostly homeless and uninsured and underinsured residents.

West County Health plans Forestville wellness facility

FORESTVILLE — West County Health Centers will open a wellness center in Forestville, likely sometime in April, where it will provide preventative health services not readily available for much of its patient base in western Sonoma County.

Insurance: Health bill provisions take effect; Tangram offers CompWest

A series of new provisions of health care reform took effect recently, as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act reached its six-month milestone since passage.

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.

Health Care: Petaluma Health Center breaks ground on $15.5 million facility

The Petaluma Health Center last week broke ground on an expansion that will double its patient volume and significantly increase services offered at the federally qualified health center.

Health care: Sebastopol health center doubles; also: new doctors for Sutter

The Sebastopol Community Health Center has doubled in size over the past two years and has added two specialists as it continues to expand.

For health centers, state cuts loom even as federal funds rise

NORTH BAY — While community health centers are widely seen as winners with the passage of a sweeping health bill in late March, such centers in California face potentially crippling state budget cuts, which could offset potential gains that won’t take effect until 2014, according to clinic directors throughout the North Bay.

2010 Forty Under 40: The winners

The winners of the Business Journal’s fourth-annual Forty under 40 awards were selected from more than 75 nominees and represent new honorees not previously chosen in 2007, 2008 or 2009.

Spotlight: Health Care Leaders

Listed alphabetically in Sonoma and Marin counties and Napa County

Health Care: Region’s health centers face critical funding paradox

For leaders of the North Bay’s health care clinics, financial stability is not as simple as new federal cash on the one hand picking up where the state cut in the other.