Recently in Pomona Valley Hospital Medical CenterAdd category Category

POMONA -- Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center this week
informed close to 300 of its employees they will have their work
hours reduced or be laid off in part due to a drop in patients.

There will be about 180 layoffs and another roughly 100 workers will
have their hours cut.

A total of 349 positions at all levels will be affected, some as
early as Monday, said Kathy Roche, hospital spokeswoman. Of the 349
positions, 163 full-time equivalent positions are currently vacant.

Hospital president and chief executive officer Richard Yochum said in
the 32 years he has been with the medical institution, such a drastic
step had never been required.

"We tried to avoid layoffs altogether," he said.

However, "we have no other alternative. Our (patient) volume is
down," Yochum said.

The hospital has had some layoffs in the past. Fewer than five were
laid off in 2004, and in 2000 there were 64 voluntary layoffs, Roche
said.

Like other industries, hospitals are being affected by the downturn
in the economy, Yochum said.

In 2009 the hospital had operating revenue totaling $416 million, a
loss of more than $3.63 million, Roche said.

Revenues for the last six months have continued to be down with the
hospital losing $1.5 million to $2 million per month, she said.

The decline in patient volume was first noticed in the fourth quarter
of last year.

Steps were taken to reduce costs including freezing management
salaries, implementing a partial hiring freeze and negotiating the
best possible prices with vendors.

Management thought California hospitals would receive some state and
federal funding that in Pomona Valley's case could help carry it
through the end of the year, but those dollars did not materialize,
Yochum said.

"By the end of May, the beginning of June, it became clear there were
no other alternatives," Yochum said.

The drop in patients is attributed to a number of factors -- one being
that families are holding off on having children.

"Our birth rate is way down," Yochum said.
In recent years the number of babies delivered at the hospital has
ranged from the high 7,000s to the low 8,000s.

"Now we'll probably barely reach 6,000," he said.

Former patients have lost jobs and are unable to pay bills, while
others have postponed elective surgical procedures.

The number of indigent patients coming to the hospital's emergency
room seeking medical care is increasing as is the number of patients
seeking charity care, Roche said. And patients are seeking medical
care when they are more ill than in the past.

Add to those problems with state and federal funding
reimbursements for Medi-Cal and Medicare patients, she said.

"We'll get the payment but it's delayed or is less than what was
anticipated," Roche said.

As a result of the economic downturn the hospital has also suspended
plans to carry out a multi-phase expansion that was expected to cost
more than $800 million.

Groundbreaking for the initial phase of the project was expected to
take place late this year or early in 2011.

"We have a commitment to our community and patients but there is not
a need for additional beds" at this time, Roche said.

A large part of the hospital's growth was connected to the region's
growth and the boom in housing construction, and "we all know that
has stopped," Yochum said.

The hospital will eliminate some programs and services such as the
transitional care unit. The unit, which will close in about 30 days,
currently prepares some patients before they go home or to a skilled
nursing facility. It provides services such as occupational or
physical therapy services that will make a patient better able to
navigate the next step in his recovery, Roche said.

Those patients will now be accommodated on the hospital's
medical-surgical floors or could go to medical facilities within the
community that can provide such care, Roche said.

Whether additional layoff and reductions in hours will be needed is
hard to say, Yochum said.

"We're expecting this will adjust our expenses more in line with our
volume of patients," he said. "I don't expect we'll have to do more."

Yochum said the hospital will continue to provide the best possible
care to patients, meet required nurse-to-patient ratios and be
available to serve the community's needs.

"Whether now or in the foreseeable future, (patients) will
continue to receive the same level of safe, high quality care," Roche
said. "Patient care will be of the same caliber we have provided for
the past 107 years. Patient care will not be compromised in any way."

Although it's trying to hold down costs, the hospital continues
to invest in technology that allows patients to undergo less invasive
treatment and shortens their hospital stays, and that improves the
quality of care.

The cuts are a concern to the nurses who are members of the Service
Employees International Union local 121 RN.

"We are deeply concerned and the loss of even one nurse is
devastating to us. Our main concern yesterday, today and tomorrow is
patient safety. We are extremely concerned and are fighting for every
job," said Jeannie King, an intensive care nurse at the hospital who
is also vice president of the local, in a statement.

San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland has also felt the effects of
the economic downturn.

"Our volume is also down about 5 percent this year," said Jaynie
Boren, vice president of planning and business development at the
hospital.

In March the hospital implemented a cost restructuring plan and cut
out about $1 million in expenses, Boren said.

The hospital reduced about 100 positions and laid off 17 people.

"But even that is significant to the people affected," Boren said.

The hospital has postponed some projects but continued forward with
others such as the expansion of its emergency room.

All around the state hospitals are feeling the effects of
the low and delayed reimbursements associated with state and
federally funded health programs, said Jan Emerson, vice president of
external affairs at the California Hospital Association.

Those problems are now being compounded due to the poor economy.

"Half of the hospitals in California are currently operating in the
red," she said, adding that last year California hospitals lost $12.2
billion in uncompensated care.

In Southern California 56 percent of hospitals that have emergency
rooms are operating in the red with negative margins of 5 percent,
said Jim Lott, executive vice president of the Hospital Association
of Southern California.

The pressure on hospitals grows as others have to close their doors
due to financial strain, Emerson said.

That leaves fewer hospital to take care of a population that is not
only growing but also aging, she said.

Hospitals in the last few months have found themselves taking steps
such as cutting programs or laying off employees, Emerson said.

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center has reduced the cost of mammogram screening, it announced this week.

Breast imaging is available for a cash price of $100, a drop of $150, the hospital said in a statement.

For the $100 fee a patient can have one of three types of breast imaging: a screening mammogram, a diagnostic mammogram or ultra sound service.

For no additional charge a radiologist will interpret the results of the tests.

Patients must have a doctor's order to take part in this program, said Tami Barto, spokeswoman for the hospital's Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Cancer Care Center.

The results of the screening will be sent to the patient's physician.

The ongoing service is available to women without health insurance or those who have coverage but are unable to afford high co-payments.

"Last year between 25 and 30 percent of our patients did not have health insurance, whereas a couple years ago it was only 8 percent," said Jan Eggleton, supervisor of the hospital's Breast Health Center in the statement.

The hospital's Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Cancer Care Center registered a considerable decrease in the number of patients scheduling annual breast exams in 2009, the statement said.

Postponing or foregoing an annual breast exam because the patient lacks insurance is risky behavior, the statement said.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009 a quarter million new female breast cancer cases were detected, the statement said.

In addition, 95 percent of new female breast cancer cases and 97 percent of deaths occur in women ages 40 and older.

"Screening and diagnostic mammography is the gold standard for finding breast cancers early when they are treatable," Eggleton said.

"That is why we have this program for people who have lost their health insurance. We want to make it affordable.

Because there is is no sure-fire way to prevent breast cancer, regular mammograms are crucial to detecting the disease, treating and saving lives, the statement said.

To schedule a mammogram, call 909-469-9395 and ask for the $100 cash price.

The service will be offered at The Robert and Beverly Lewis Family Cancer Care Center, 1910 Royalty Drive, Pomona; at Pomona Valley Health Center at Chino Hills, 2140 Grand Ave., Chino Hills; and Pomona Valley Health Center at Claremont, 1601 Monte Vista Ave., Claremont.

For more information, call the Breast Health Center at 909-469-9472.

POMONA - Every so often, security officers with four-legged partners can be spotted walking through Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.

The security teams - consisting of a dog and a handler - have patrolled the medical center since 1990, said Louis Hernandez, the hospital's director of security.

Canines are an efficient method of maintaining the safety at hospitals, according to people familiar with hospital security. In addition, these specially trained dogs are good for public relations, experts said.

"They are a very positive tool also because they are very friendly," Hernandez said.

Patients, staff and visitors often want to pet the dogs, and they can do so, if they ask the handler for permission.

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center security officer Jose Martinez walks his dog Bear through the hospital's emergency room last month. Bear has had regular police training and is trained in explosives detection. Hospital dogs also get to interact with patients and visitors. (Will Lester / Staff Photographer)he said.

Pomona Valley Hospital has three Belgian Malinois and handler teams, Hernandez said, adding he's hoping to replace a fourth dog that was recently retired.

Dogs used as part of hospital security teams have a different temperament from those used by law enforcement agencies, said Joe Cruz, public safety director for Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, which also has dogs on patrol.

"The temperament of the dog has to be lower," said Cruz, who added Long Beach Memorial has three teams and uses German shepherds and Rottweilers.

A dog working in law enforcement has a higher energy level compared to a canine working in a hospital setting. The hospital dog must be a bit more restrained because it will be around people more, many of whom are dealing with illnesses, and children, Cruz said.

However, training for a canine and handler working in a hospital is not too much different from law enforcement training, Hernandez said.

Teams from Pomona Valley Hospital undergo the same monthly training and annual certification processes as law enforcement teams, Hernandez said.

"Experts certify the dogs are working to the highest level possible," he said.

The presence of a canine can be useful in defusing a situation during which tempers flare or tension is beginning to escalate.

In urban settings, canines are becoming increasingly useful, said William Nesbitt of SMSI Inc.

SMSI is a consulting firm that has experience doing legal work involving security litigation and provides security consulting services to health care organizations.

As major trauma centers find themselves closing their doors, emergency medical personnel have fewer emergency rooms to take victims of street violence for treatment.

Emergency personnel years ago could transport rival gang members to different hospitals, which is not easy to do anymore, Nesbitt said.

Injured rival gang members could potentially end up in the same emergency room, he said.

"If the entourage that comes with them can start to become a problem, (the canine) becomes a deterrent to violent or irrational behavior," Nesbitt said.

Whether it is one person or a crowd, once people see the dog, a tense situation calms because they know dogs can be aggressive, Hernandez said.

However, "in all the years we've had (canines), we have never had to use them aggressively," he said.

Pomona Valley Hospital's dogs have always been trained for protection, but, about four years ago, a decision was made to also begin cross training the canines in explosives detection, Hernandez said.

If there is an incident such as a terrorist attack, the hospital, which is a major medical facility in the region, could provide treatment for those victims, Hernandez said.

Under such circumstances, the hospital could become a secondary target, he said.

In such a situation, a handler and a canine can be a significant asset because they can find even the smallest amount of explosives, Hernandez said.

Hernandez contends airport security teams should have more canines.

For example, a well-trained dog and handler team would have detected the explosives a Nigerian airplane passenger traveling from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day was carrying before he allegedly set them off.

"I'm very sold on the capabilities of dogs," Hernandez said. "Their sense of smell is unbelievable."

Canine and handler teams are also useful in maintaining that hospital grounds are kept free of burglars.

Should an alarm be set off, the canine and handler team can be called in, Cruz said.

The dog "can do the initial search," Cruz said. "My officer doesn't put himself in harm's way."

The canines also serve as a form of therapy for patients, employees and visitors, Cruz said.

Personnel in the hospital's emergency department, which is a high stress area, often look forward to the handler and canine passing through because it provides a moment to interact with the dog, he said.

Cruz said he often gets calls from nursing personnel who have patients who are dog owners and miss their pets and could use a visit from a security officer's canine partner.

Canines have been used for hospital security for at least 15 years, but the programs aren't cheap.

Specially selected and trained dogs each cost more than $10,000, Nesbitt said. However, the investment is worthwhile.

"Anecdotally, (a dog and handler) probably have a greater deterrent value than an officer with a sidearm," he said.

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center will offer a free drive-thru seasonal flu clinic Oct. 24.

Vaccines will be provided from 8 a.m. to noon or until supplies run out, the hospital said.

The annual clinic will take place at the hospital's parking lot at 360 Vinton Ave., which is located between Orange Grove Avenue and Royalty Drive.

Parents who have experienced the death of a child will gather Thursday evening at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center for the annual "Walk to Remember."

The two-hour free event begins at 7 p.m. in Pitzer Auditorium on the hospital's grounds, 1798 N. Garey Ave.

The gathering is designed to help parents as they grieve and begin to heal following the loss of an infant or child and to do so among others who have gone through similar experiences, according to a hospital statement.

This year's event has as a theme, "I Will Remember You."

The evening will include a memorial service, special poem readings, a candle-lighting ceremony followed by a candlelight walk honoring the memory of infants and children who have died.

To conclude the event, participating parents will gather at the hospital's Memorial Wall for a moment of music and reflection.

"The walk is so important for parents who have lost children to help them understand that they are not alone," the Rev. Francisco Munoz, chaplain at the hospital, said in the statement.

"There is strength in knowing that you can turn to others for companionship on the journey following the loss of a child."

Information: (909) 865-9858.

POMONA - Some people exchanged vows Wednesday and some large companies released products to take advantage of a date some considered lucky.

Those events were all planned.

The arrival of three babies - all about 9 pounds - on 9-9-09 at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center was never planned for that day.

Jaeline Alonso-Dimas of Pomona was born at 5:13 a.m. She weighed in at 9 pounds, 10 ounces.

Arcadio Alvarez Jr. of Ontario arrived at 12:03 p.m. He weighed 9 pounds, 8 ounces.

Cadence Grace Luu of Ontario weighted exactly 9 pounds when she arrived at 3:18 p.m.

In some cultures, such as the Chinese, nine is a lucky number second only to 8, according to LiveScience.com.

It is a number linked to long life because its pronounciation resembles the word meaning long lasting.

Vanessa Luu, Cadence's mother, said she and her husband Vinh Luu were originally told the baby would arrive later this month.

"The original due date was the 15th. Then it changed to the 10th. We thought we actually could have her on 9/9," she said.

The Luus have experience with special numbers. They were married on July 7, 2007 - or 7-7-07.

"The wedding we planned. This wasn't as planned," Luu said.

Jaeline's mother said she wasn't expecting her daughter to arrive until this weekend.

"I'd been given the 13th (as a delivery date) but she came ahead of time," Angelica Dimas said in Spanish.

It wasn't until after Jaeline was born that her family noticed all the nines.

"I hadn't taken (the date) into account until my husband and mother-in-law started talking about it," Dimas said.

While the two girls where in a hurry to come into the world, Arcadio Jr. was running a little behind schedule.

"He was actually due on the 3rd," his mother Amanda Hawley said.

Then, on Tuesday evening, the contractions began, Hawley said.

Arcadio Jr's mother said her son's birthday won't go unnoticed, a thought the girls mothers expressed as well.

"It's cool! I'm not going to forget it, that's for sure," Hawley said.

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center has been awarded more than $51,000 for its family practice residency training program, the state announced this week.

The $51,615 award comes from the state Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development through its Song-Brown Program.

A total of 27 health facilities from around the state received awards ranging from $206,460 to $51,615, the state agency said in a statement.

The awards are given to family practice training programs involved in preparing physicians, family nurse practitioners, physician assistants and registered nurses who will be working in California, the statement said.

More than half of the family practice doctors trained in Song-Brown funded programs go on to work in underserved communities after completing their training, according to the statement.

The funds for the awards come from annual fees paid by health facilities, the statement said.

POMONA -- Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center's Stead Heart and Vascular Center has been recognized by the American Heart Association for its work treating patients with cardiac problems.

The center earned the association's "Get With the Guidelines -- Heart Failure, Gold Performance Achievement Award" as well as the "Get With the Guidelines -- Coronary Artery Disease, Silver Performance Achievement Award," according to the hospital.

"Stead Heart and Vascular Center at PVHMC is dedicated to making our care for heart failure and coronary artery disease patients among the best in the country," said Deborah Keasler, director of the center.

The gold award goes to institutions that for two years have complied with or exceeded 85 percent of the association's guidelines in treating heart failure patients.

The silver award recognizes hospitals where 85 percent of coronary patients without complications were given care and instructions following the association's treatment guidelines. Such practices had to be in place for at least a year.

In addition to being recognized by the American Heart Association, the hospital was recently listed among America's best hospitals of 2009-10 by U.S. News and World Report