Signs of change seen at hospital

New temporary signs are up at the former South Coast Medical Center, which became Mission Hospital Laguna Beach as of midnight Tuesday.

The temporary banners will be up until Sept. 9, when hospital officials hope to have permanent signs installed.

In accordance with California Department of Public Health regulations, the facility name is required to change with the transfer of ownership. Because the hospital is operating under Mission Hospital’s license, Mission Hospital had to be in the name and it had to be the first name listed, spokeswoman Kelsey Martinez said.

Other changes include the removal of a generator from the lower parking lot, which has drawn complaints from neighbors, and landscaping improvements, according to City Manager Ken Frank.

Some 300 former employees of South Coast were offered jobs under Mission Hospital, Martinez said.

“More than 450 applicants were interviewed and two-thirds were offered positions,” she said.

One of the new faces at the 208-bed facility is Michael Beck, appointed as vice president for operations. Beck will oversee all hospital operations, programs and activities of Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, working with Mission Hospital’s chief executives.

Beck also will be responsible for “aligning MHLB with Mission Hospital’s core values and business objectives as part of the St. Joseph Health System,” Martinez said.

Beck previously served as vice president of quality and systems improvement at Mission Hospital and also served as compliance and privacy officer, in accordance with state and federal healthcare regulatory requirements.

During a 17-year tenure with Mission, Beck has overseen development and execution of hospital policies and procedures based on healthcare regulations including requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.

Beck remains responsible for communication and implementation of the state and federal laws that govern the healthcare industry in protection of patient privacy rights.

Prior to his work at Mission Hospital, Beck worked first as a clinical consultant and then clinical coordinator for RehabCare in St. Louis.

A graduate of Abilene Christian University in Texas, Beck holds a master’s degree in speech pathology from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center. He holds a California License in speech pathology and a certificate of clinical competency from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Assn.

In 2002, he was granted Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality status by the Healthcare Quality Certification Board.