by Contessa Abono
Dr. Samantha Collier
Sequoia Hospital is one of only 269 hospitals nationwide to receive the 2008 HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award. Sequoia Hospital has received this distinction for five of the past six years and is in the top 5 percent for overall clinical quality for the third consecutive year.
“Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence like Sequoia Hospital have proven that it is possible to consistently deliver top-notch medical care and they should be recognized for their outstanding achievement,” said Samantha Collier, MD, HealthGrades’ chief medical officer.
Taxies go green
Members Board of Supervisors District have stated that a new legislation to provide incentives for Taxi Companies to phase in hybrid or other alternatively fueled taxis over the next three years. Beginning July 1, 2008, the City would require that all taxis being put into service in San Francisco be from a list of approved green vehicles.
The proposed legislation would allow taxi companies to increase the daily gate fee charged to drivers by $7.50 for green vehicles. In addition, it would increase gate fees across the board by $5.00. Therefore, the gate fee would increase by $12.50 for green vehicles and $5.00 for all other vehicles. Currently the gate fee is $91.50.
The increased gate fee would offset the cab companies’ additional costs for purchasing clean taxis. For drivers paying the additional gate fee, we anticipate that reduced gas expenditures will not only offset the increase, but actually result in a net increase in their income. The legislation will not raise fares for customers.
Given the estimated there and a half-year lifetime for taxis, and the requirement in the legislation that all taxis purchased beginning July 1, 2008 by green vehicles, we anticipate that all taxis operated in San Francisco by December of 2011 will meet the City’s requirements for clean taxis.
Hotel workers to rally at Google headquarters, demand respect for labor rights
Members of Unite Here Local 19, which represents 4,000 members throughout the South Bay, is a labor union with 450,000 members nationally in the hotel, restaurant, laundry, gaming, and textile industries. Community supporters will stage a rally in Mountain View in support of the right to organize a union without company intimidation for workers at a proposed four-star hotel and conference center to be developed by Google on city-owned land next to Google headquarters.
The rally will take place at 5 p.m. at Charleston Park in Mountain View, near the corner of Shoreline Blvd. and Charleston Rd. Google entered into exclusive negotiations with the city for the hotel project in September and a development agreement is being finalized.
College of San Francisco Board of Trustees to meet February 14 and 26
The Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Community College District (City College of San Francisco) will hold its regular monthly meetings on February 14 and 26.
The Board will hold its study session on Thursday, February 14 at 5 p.m. in the Auditorium at the College’s 33 Gough Street facility.
The Board will hold its action meeting on Tuesday, February 26 at 6 p.m. in the Auditorium at the College’s 33 Gough Street facility.
The public is invited to attend both meetings.
For further information, visit the City College of San Francisco website at www.ccsf.edu.
