Hospital sale still up in air

Deputy Atty. Gen. Wendi Horwitz came to town to hear comments on the proposed sale of South Coast Medical Center to Mission Regional Medical Center. She got an earful.

About 150 people attended the five-hour meeting Wednesday night at Top of the World Elementary School. Lots of opinions and suggestions were offered, but no conclusions were announced about the terms of the sale, which must be approved by the state attorney general’s office.

Concerns ranged from qualms about inadequate equipment to the future of local doctors and loss of local control.

“Laguna Beach is concerned that the new owner is eliminating outpatient departments including cardio rehab and the senior fitness gym,” said resident Kathy Baker. “If you could see these classes, I don’t think anyone with a heart could close them.”

South Coast doctors made a pitch for the tools they need to practice quality medicine.

“Not having an MRI could be crippling for many doctors,” said staff orthopedist David Ashkenaze. “Losing the scanner will put our patients at a disadvantage.”

Dr. Dan Haspert questioned how physicians could provide services without upgraded equipment and the hospital should be able to cover the cost.

“If we hadn’t had to pay $36 million in management fees to Adventist, we wouldn’t be here,” Haspert said. “So why do cuts have to be made?”

Terms and conditions of the sale must be approved by the attorney general’s office. A decision is expected no later than mid-June, but it is not a done deal.

“Either party can pull out of the deal if they object to the terms imposed by the attorney general,” said Assistant City Manager John Pietig, who spoke at the meeting on behalf of the city.

The city has no control over the hospital, but has taken as active a role as possible in the sale, identifying its preferences and goals and would like some insurance that those goals will be met. The council was updated on the transaction at its Tuesday meeting.

“We are optimistic about Mission’s good intentions in taking over South Coast, but we really would like to see the attorney general translate those good intentions into a written commitment so the community can be assured that South Coast will be successful for the foreseeable future,” Pietig said.