Board Approves UCSF-SVH Management Services Agreement

November 10, 2020

At the November meeting the Board approved an update to the Hospital’s affiliation agreement with UCSF Health that provides closer integration of hospital management with UCSF. It is an important evolution of our relationship and will support expanded SVH access to UCSF services.

Under the new management services agreement, SVH Executive Leadership – the CEO, CFO and CMO – will be employed by UCSF, with SVH reimbursing UCSF on a pass-through basis. The SVH CEO will continue to report directly to the SVHCD Board of Directors with a dotted line to the UCSF Affiliates President. The SVH CFO and CMO will continue to report to the SVH CEO with a dotted line to the appropriate UCSF leaders.

With the UCSF relationship, our Hospital is part of a growing and dynamic regional affiliate network that provides us with access to many specialized services and expands the number of patients our Hospital is able to serve. The UCSF relationship has been very important in helping SVH respond to the Covid-19 crisis, for example. And last month, UCSF’s world-renowned urology and prostate cancer care specialist, Dr. Peter Carroll, began seeing Sonoma patients through our expanding telemedicine program with UCSF.

CEO Report

CEO Kelly Mather reported that the Hospital continues to recover from the cyberattack that occurred in early October and which was reported in the national news as part of an attack directed at a number of U.S. hospitals by foreign interests. Mather said many hospital services have remained operational as computer systems are gradually being restored. She acknowledged the extensive assistance we have received from UCSF Health’s IT department during recovery, and said the Hospital, with help from outside experts, is taking a number of steps to strengthen Hospital security procedures.

Mather also reported the Hospital is on track to open the new CT suite next month, as planned. It is part of the first phase of the new Outpatient Diagnostic Center. She said that work on phase two, the new MRI suite, has begun.

CEO Search

Representatives from the executive search firm WittKieffer, which is handling the Hospital’s search to replace CEO Kelly Mather, provided an update at the meeting. They reported that they are finding significant interest in the position and they have begun interviewing candidates.

Covid Update

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sabrina Kidd reported that the number of patients in the Valley with Covid-19 remains at a fairly low level and the Hospital is not seeing many Covid-19 patients. She said the Hospital remains well prepared in the event of a surge and has adequate supplies of PPE and ventilators on hand. She reminds patients that SVH continues to maintain strict access protocols to ensure patient safety and continues its no-visitor policy with only those seeking services allowed to enter.

A Personal Note

I would like to add a personal note to this report because it will be my last as my term ends and I will step down from the board at the December meeting. I want to express my gratitude to Kelly Mather and Hospital leadership, my fellow Board members, and so many in our community for their support during my two terms on the board, and the opportunity to serve as Board Chair for three years. It has been a critical time for our Hospital and I believe that we have made sound decisions preparing our Hospital to continue serving our community well into the future.

I also want to acknowledge Sharon Nevins who leaves the board next month after a long and successful tenure on the board – 10 years in all, including two years as Board Chair. She has made many wonderful contributions during her time, most notably in providing a steady hand in the financial area, and will be missed. Sharon has chaired the Board’s Finance Committee for many years and served as Chair of the Audit Committee with consistently excellent results.

Finally, I’m delighted to welcome two new board members – Dr. Judy Bjorndal and Susan Idell. Both bring extensive experience and expertise to the Board and they will serve our Hospital and community well in the years ahead.

Next Board Meeting

The December regular District Board meeting has been moved back a week for this meeting only and will be held on Thursday, December 10, at 6 pm. Complying with state regulations on physical distancing due to the coronavirus, Board meetings are being conducted by video conferencing. The public is encouraged to participate and video conferencing details are available on the Hospital website. Public comment is always welcome.

Sincerely,

Jane

Jane Hirsch
Chair of the SVHCD Board of Directors