Alameda Health System (AHS), formerly Alameda County Medical Center (ACMC), is an integrated public health care system organized as a public hospital authority.
Formerly operated by Alameda County, California, it now has an independent board of trustees appointed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. It operates five hospitals (Alameda Hospital, Fairmont Hospital, Highland Hospital, John George Psychiatric Hospital, and San Leandro Hospital), and four primary care medical clinics (called ambulatory Wellness Centers) within the county. In March 2013, ACMC officially changed its name to Alameda Health System.
Video Alameda Health System
History
The system began as the Alameda County Infirmary in 1864. In the 1920s, it became the Fairmont Hospital, the first public rehabilitation center in the western United States. In 1927, Highland Hospital was established. In the 1960s, Ambulatory Health Care Services, a network of neighborhood-based health clinics called Wellness Centers, was established. In the 1992, an acute psychiatric hospital, John George Psychiatric Pavilion, above Fairmont Hospital was opened.
In the 1990s, the three hospitals, along with the Wellness Centers, were consolidated to form the Alameda County Medical Center.
Throughout the 1990s, ACMC faced structural deficits resulting from changes in the American health care industry. On July 11, 1996, California State Assembly Bill 2374 (AB 2374) was passed to permit Alameda County to establish a public health authority to manage, administer and control the Alameda County Medical Center. On July 1, 1998, the Board of Supervisors formally handed control of ACMC to a newly formed Medical Center Hospital Authority.
AHS received a $200 million bailout from Alameda County in the 1990s, and as of 2013 still owes about $130 million. In addition, a half-cent sales tax from local Measure A has provided financial relief, including $105.5 million in fiscal year, 2010-11; Measure A is designed and implemented to provide additional financial support for many of the medical departments of the Alameda Health System (emergency medical, hospital inpatient, outpatient, public health, mental health and substance abuse services) and is meant to primarily serve indigent, low-income, and uninsured adults, children, families, seniors and other residents of Alameda County that are traditionally seen as very vulnerable populations and those that are usually at proportionately high rates coming to AHS facilities.
A new outpatient care center, at its main location, Highland Hospital, opened in May 2013. In 2015, an acute care center is slated to open.
Maps Alameda Health System
Locations
Hospitals
- Highland Hospital, Oakland. ACMC's offices are located here.
- Fairmont Rehabilitation & Wellness, San Leandro
- John George Psychiatric Pavilion, San Leandro (named after county supervisor John George)
- Alameda Hospital, city of Alameda
- San Leandro Hospital, San Leandro
Primary care clinics
- Hayward Wellness Center, Hayward
- Eastmont Wellness Center, Eastmont Town Center, Oakland
- Newark Wellness Center, Newark
- Highland Wellness Center, Oakland
Patient demographics
The pie charts reflect the data compiled from the Alameda Health System and indicate the demographics of the patient population. The majority of patients are African American and Latino, respectively. Additionally, about 40% of the patient population is a recipient of either Medicare or Medicaid. Research conducted by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies indicates that life expectancy in Alameda County is positively correlated with degree of economic opportunity. In a study conducted in 2012, the highest economic opportunity quintile lived 7.7 years longer on average than those in the lowest economic opportunity quintile.
See also
- List of hospitals in California
- A documentary titled The Waiting Room was made in 2012, which details the patient demographics, patient experience and the financial constraints of Highland Hospital in the Alameda Health System.
References
External links
- Alameda Health System website
- Alameda Health System Careers
Source of article : Wikipedia
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