by Ali Tabatabai

Good-bye to St. Lukes Hospital? The California Nurses Association holds a demonstration on the steps of SF City Hall on Thursday prior to a committee hearing of the Board of Supervisors on California Pacific Medical Center’s plan to close St. Luke’s Hospital. Asamblyman Mark Leno, speaks against the closing. (photo by Jennifer Salgado)­

Inpatient emergency care services at St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco’s Mission District were resuscitated for another 90 days, after hospital executives admitted on Thursday to neglecting a state law requiring official notice be sent to the city’s health commission before a closure.

At a hearing before the Board of Supervisors committee and a capacity crowd of hospital staff and community members, California Pacific Medical 7Center officials announced they will comply with the law known as Proposition Q and said their plans for the hospital was the first step in a process to redevelop city’s healthcare landscape.

“Whatever the future is for St. Luke’s and CPMC’s presence in the south of market, it’s not going to be a financially based decision from a standpoint of looking to make a profit,” said Christopher Willrich, California Pacific’s vice president of strategy and business development.

According to Willrich, St. Luke’s is currently lospopulaing $30 to $35 million each year while 60 percent of its acute hospital beds lay empty on any given day. He added that 85 percent of the hospital’s emergency room visits are for “low-level” emergencies such as asthma attacks and diabetes complications.

­CPMC, an affiliate of Sutter Health, had originally declared its plans to cut its pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit starting Nov. 16.–eventually eliminating all long-term emergency stays and turning St. Luke’s into an outpatient ambulatory hub by 2009. To balance the loss of St. Luke’s, CPMC also intends to build a $1.7 billion new hospital on Cathedral Hill at Van Ness Avenue and Geary Boulevard.

However, Public health director, Dr. Mitch Katz, said the move would leave San Francisco General as the only acute care hospital in the south-east side of the city.

“I don’t believe a simple closure of St. Luke’s, and closure of the [emergency department] could enhance our health status, have” Katz said. “We only now have nine acute care hospitals in San Francisco and we very badly need all of our emergency departments.”

During the hearing, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier grilled Cal Pacifi c’s executives on rumors of sabotaging St. Luke’s numbers in order to justify the downgrading. She asked Willrich if CPMC was referring patients with private insurance to its other campuses and holding on to billing statements for its Medicare/ MediCal claims.

Willrich, however, categorically denied all accusations of engaging in the process known as, “medical redlining.”

“There’s no understanding that this is the way things are done,” Willrich said, “This doesn’t not sound like CPMC.”

Still, Alioto-Pier expressed her concerned on the impact the closure would have on the neighborhood, adding “You get rid of St. Luke’s and women who want to give birth to their babies in their communities all of a sudden have to go into Pacifi c Heights.”

Doctor’s from St. Luke’s, who treat high number of patients on government programs, also had their questions about the potential loss of the hospital. Michael Treece, chairman of the department of pediatrics at St. Luke’s has cared for children in the Mission District for over ten years. He noted that kids get sick at higher rates than adults and more serious conditions could develop into lifethreatening complications if not dealt with properly.

“Do we really want to ask families to bring their sick children all the way across town on a bus,” Treece asked. “Is that who we are?”

Thirty-three-year-old, Jan Zimmerman, who recently delivered her baby at St. Luke’s, said it should remain open as an example to the rest of the nation. ­She said that San Francisco should be home to hospitals that provide “the same opportunities and resources so that we have the best kind of healthcare available for everybody.”

The strong community reaction seemed to take stock with CPMC’s chief executive offi cer, Dr. Martin Brotman, who stayed for entire hearing lasted close to three hours. While he said he found the medical redlining accusations to be insulting, he thought the dialogue was constructive. “Everybody said we’re running a terrifi c hospital in there and they don’t want to lose it, that resonates,” Brotman said, “I heard what they’re saying and I’m going to reassess what the options are.”

Brotman said CPMC will continue to work with Dr. Katz and the city to determine the future of St. Luke’s and San Francisco’s medical system.

­

by the El Reportero news services

Hugo Chávez

NEW YORK – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is ready to gain a public relations victory in Latin America if the U.S. Congress fails to approve free-trade pacts in the region, according to sources.

If Congress failes to ratify trade pacts with Peru, Colombia and Panama may unleash a crisis in U.S. relations with Latin America. As a U.S. adversary Chávez, would turn it to his advantage, according U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.

“If we turn away (from approving the pacts), it’s going to embolden someone like Hugo Chávez that he can make hay out of that crisis,” said Burns. “We certainly don’t want to see someone like Chávez gain a public relations benefit if it doesn’t get through, that’s surely what he’ll try to do.”

Chávez blames U.S.-backed free-market policies for increasing poverty in Latin America. He has promoted his leftist Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, of which Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua are members.

­Bush presses US Congress on Latin America trade deals

President Bush Friday urged the U.S. Congress to approve a set of free trade accords with Colombia, Panama and Peru. VOA’s Brian Wagner reports that Mr. Bush said the trade deals will benefit U.S.

President Bush made the speech in Miami, Florida noting it is crucial for U.S. trade with Latin America and other parts of the world. He said that $72 billion in goods and products passed through Miami’s ports last year.

The president said the strength of international trade has helped push the area’s economic growth and employment levels above national averages. “I think the case for trade is unmistakable in Miami, and we need to make that case all over the country. I’ve come to a place that has benefited from trade so others around the country can understand it can happen in their areas as well,” he said.

Problems mount in Tijuana

On 29 October the federal Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación (TEPJF) again delayed its confirmation that José Guadalupe Osuna Millán had won the August election for the governorship of Baja California. Osuna Millán is due to take office on November 1.

He is the only Partido Acción Nacional victor in a gubernatorial election since President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa took office in December 2006. If the TEPJF does annul the election in Baja, it will also set a questionmark against the narrow victory by Calderón in the 2006 presidential election. Calderón’s margin of victory (0.56%) was more than 10 times smaller than Osuna’s, yet there has not been a full recount of votes cast in the presidential election.

­by Adolfo Flores and Mario Aguirre

A series of wildfires that have blazed for a more 7than week in six Southern California counties that are home to 7.2 million Hispanics—nearly 40°/0 of their combined population—finally appear under control.

The wind-driven inferno initiated the largest series of evacuations in the state’s history.

It blackened more than a half-million acres, destroyed 1,800 homes and caused seven deaths. Four of those caught and killed by the blaze are :believed to be undocumented migrants. Their charred bodies, found Oct, 25 near the Mexican border have been sent to the San Diego County Coroner’s Office to attempt to identify them.

The U.S. government and local outreach organizations as well as the Mexican Red Cross, have extended a hand to those in need of shelter, food or medical care. The National Council of La Raza teamed up with the American Red Cross to ensure the needs of the Latino community are met. The ARC has asked NCLR to share information on any other relief services where it may refer displaced families and to identify specific locations where communities are having difficulties.

A fact sheet was prepared by the two groups and the National Immigration Law Center to help non-English speaking immigrants navigate the different avenues for receiving aid.

“We’re making sure that the Hispanic community has the information and resources to receive the help it needs,” said NCLR spokesperson Laura Anduze. “We understand it may be difficult for them to seek assistance.”

Mexico’s Red Cross has been helping out in San Diego since Oct. 25 in providing bilingual assistance to the Spanish-speaking community.

Firefighters from Tijuana have been aiding firefighters from California and neighboring states on both sides of the border.

President Bush joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on an Oct. 25 visit to the “disaster” areas in San Diego and promised federal aid to the fire victims.

“This declaration means millions of dollars in much-needed assistance to help our state rebuild and recover,’ ‘Schwarzenegger said. “The federal government did the right thing.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency set up a hotline aimed at the Hispanic community and those who speak 173 other foreign languages. In the six affected countles there are nearly 3 million Spanish speakers with limited English skills, accord. ing to the 2000 Census.

FEMA also sent bilingual and multicultural representatives to assist those in the devastated areas.

The hotline is the starting point for victims to register for federal assistance. Families can receive up to 28,000 for temporary housing, building repairs, lost possessions, and medical and funeral costs through their Individuals and Households Program.

Within the first 48 to 74 emergency-period hours, FEMA disregarded victims’ legal status when issuing services. To receive the financial aid, proof of legal status is required, however. Not all members of a family must show such proof to qualify. In fact, FEMA requires that just one family member —children and minors allowed—to be a citizen, resident or a qualified foreigner. One person’s information is sufficient during the registration process. A parent must make it clear that the aid is for his or her child.

“If a person doesn’t meet the requirements, we refer them to other volunteer or faith-based 1organizations where they don’t need to provide information ­regarding their legal status,” said FEMA spokesperson’ Mayra López de la Victoria.

Although the federal government has been quick to offer aid, undocumented communities such as the Mixtecos in San Diego’s canyons will be left out of the loop when it comes to rebuilding their lives.

Amanda Martinez of New American Media reported that Mexican government officials are filling the gap. The Mexican Consulate has been at the forefront of the effort to meet the needs of the undocumented community through partnerships with other groups.

Grassroots organization Casa Familiar located near the border doesn’t ask for documentation. It has become an emergency evacuation center.

Outreach worker Mónica Hernández found that members of the undocumented community were reluctant to evacuate their homes and receive help because of their fear of the Border Patrol.