How to Help Rescue Laguna Honda Hospital

Correspondence With S.F. Public Officials

Note: All links on this page are to PDF files; please start Adobe Acrobat before following any links.

Note: To add your correspondence to City officials to this compendium, please e-mail the Committee to Save Laguna Honda Hospital using the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of the screen.

While various San Francisco public officials — including the Mayor, Supervisor Elsbernd, and Laguna Honda’s new Executive Director, John Kanaley — have been claiming they need to seek out additional information regarding Laguna Honda Hospital in order to get their feet wet since they are all “new to their jobs,” the weight and preponderance of correspondence to them illustrates that private citizens have been educating various City officials for some length of time regarding many problems facing LHH. The Board of Supervisors and the Health Commission have also been contacted repeatedly; collectively, City officials have failed to respond in any meaningful manner.

What follows is a chronological compendium of correspondence that shows these officials have had more than ample time in which to learn about the dire situation at Laguna Honda.

It is time for these officials to hang up their collective “I need more information before I can act” shingles, stop their collaborative stalling and delaying tactics, and take aggressive steps to stop DPH from changing the mission of LHH.

Letter to:
Description

Supervisor Tony Hall, Rebutting Testimony Presented by DPH
on June 24, 2004
July 1, 2004
In Information Packet #1 to former Supervisor Hall, three LHH MD’s begin to dispute data that Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of Public Health, presented during the City Services hearing on June 24 regarding changes to the LHH admissions policy.

Supervisor Tony Hall, Rebutting Testimony Presented by DPH
on June 24, 2004
July 7, 2004 In Information Packet #2 to former Supervisor Hall, three LHH MD’s continue to dispute data Dr. Katz presented during the City Services hearing on June 24.

Mayor Newsom, Requesting a Meeting Between the Mayor
and LHH MD’s
October 18, 2004 In a letter to Mayor Newson, members of the Medical Staff at LHH requested a meeting with the Mayor. In their letter, they specifically asked: “To achieve postiive change, the leaders and staff of LHH need to know what is your vision of LHH’s role in serving San Francisco.” Rather than meeting with the MD’s who had requested the meeting, Mayor Newsom eventually dispatched his Chief of Staff to meet with the doctors, instead.

Mayor Newsom About the November 17, 2004 Meeting Between the Mayor and Sister Miriam Walsh
November 19, 2004 Following up on a meeting with Mayor Newsom that was requested by Sister Miriam Walsh, in this letter two LHH MD’s discuss their concerns about the “Flow Project,” and the incorrect information DPH has presented about the number of patients at SFGH awaiting transfer to LHH. Courtesy copy to Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of Public Health.

Mayor Newsom About Changes at LHH
November 22, 2004 In this letter to Mayor Newsom, a psychiatrist at LHH describes several problems facing residents and staff at LHH; disagrees with statements made by Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of Public Health, during a November 17 meeting between the Mayor and Sister Miriam Walsh; and poses three questions to the Mayor, including what plan is being developed to preserve LHH for elderly San Franciscans.

Supervisor Elsbernd on LHH Chinese Patients
November 24, 2004 In this letter to Supervisor Elsbernd, six LHH social workers discuss the discriminatory admissions policy at LHH and the dilemmas facing Chinese citizens, since local community hospitals are having diffuclty discharging patients to Laguna Honda Hospital, and Chinese and other Asian San Franciscans are being denied admission to LHH.

Supervisor Elsbernd on LHH Chinese Patients
Novewmber 28, 2004 In this letter to Supervisor Elsbernd, three LHH MD’s describe the declining admission rates of Chinese patients at LHH, including data before and after the introduction of the “flow project.” Courtesy copies to Mayor Newsom; Dr. Katz; and John Kanaley, LHH’s CEO, among others.

Statement By
Rene Thomas, MD
December 14, 2005 In this statement to be read into the record of the December 16 Town Hall meeting held at St. Brendan’s Parish Hall, an LHH psychiatrist (who was called out of town) shares her concerns about the situation at Laguna Honda, regarding patients who cannot be safely managed at LHH with its current security, including one who had “threatened to shoot everyone on his ward.”

John Kanaley,
Executive Administrator, LHH Follow-up to December 16 Town Hall Meeting at St. Brendan’s Parish Hall
December 19, 2005 In this letter to Mr. Kanaley, the West of Twin Peaks Central Council’s Laguna Honda Hospital Committee raises a number of questions about issues discussed during the Town Hall meeting held on December 16 at St. Brendan’s Parish Hall. They request that the admissions policy be changed back to the pre-March 2004 version. Courtesy copies to Supervisor Elsbernd and the Coalition for San Francisco Negihborhoods, among others.

John Kanaley,
Executive Administrator, LHH, on Controversies
January 2, 2005 In this letter to Mr. Kanaley, two LHH MD’s describe the continuing controversies regarding LHH. They chronicle, and refute, a variety of inaccurate statements made by DPH administrators dating back to May 2004. Courtesy copies to Mayor Newsom; Dr. Katz; Edward, Chow, MD, Presdient of the San Francisco Helath Commision; and Larry Funk, Former LHH CEO, among others.

Mayor Newsom, on His Lack of a Mayoral Vision for Laguna Honda Hospital
January 5, 2005 In this Open Letter to the Mayor, an independent community observer questions why Mayor Newsom avoided answering direct questions posed to him during a November 17 meeting at Laguna Honda Hospital organized by Sister Miriam Walsh, and asks the Mayor when he is going to issue a “mayoral vision for LHH’s mission.” Courtesy copies to the Board of Supervisors, the Health Commission, Dr. Katz, and others.

Board of Supervisors Regarding Discrimination Against the Elderly
January 6, 2005 In this e-mail to the Board of Supervisors, a former LHH MD outlines potential discrimination against San Francisco’s elderly and disabled, since DPH is “breaking faith” with San Franciscans who voted to rebuild LHH for the frail elderly and the disabled. Notes that the admission of younger patients having short-term social rehab needs who are displacing frail elderly San Francisco residents needing long-term care is moving into high gear.

Top

_______

Copyright (c) 2005 by Committee to Save LHH. All rights reserved. This work may not be reposted anywhere on the Web, or reprinted in any print media, without express written permission. E-mail the Committee to Save LHH.

Letter to:	Description
Supervisor Tony Hall, Rebutting Testimony Presented by DPH on June 24, 2004 July 1, 2004	In Information Packet #1 to former Supervisor Hall, three LHH MD’s begin to dispute data that Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of Public Health, presented during the City Services hearing on June 24 regarding changes to the LHH admissions policy.
Supervisor Tony Hall, Rebutting Testimony Presented by DPH on June 24, 2004 July 7, 2004	In Information Packet #2 to former Supervisor Hall, three LHH MD’s continue to dispute data Dr. Katz presented during the City Services hearing on June 24.
Mayor Newsom, Requesting a Meeting Between the Mayor and LHH MD’s October 18, 2004	In a letter to Mayor Newson, members of the Medical Staff at LHH requested a meeting with the Mayor. In their letter, they specifically asked: “To achieve postiive change, the leaders and staff of LHH need to know what is your vision of LHH’s role in serving San Francisco.” Rather than meeting with the MD’s who had requested the meeting, Mayor Newsom eventually dispatched his Chief of Staff to meet with the doctors, instead.
Mayor Newsom About the November 17, 2004 Meeting Between the Mayor and Sister Miriam Walsh November 19, 2004	Following up on a meeting with Mayor Newsom that was requested by Sister Miriam Walsh, in this letter two LHH MD’s discuss their concerns about the “Flow Project,” and the incorrect information DPH has presented about the number of patients at SFGH awaiting transfer to LHH. Courtesy copy to Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of Public Health.
Mayor Newsom About Changes at LHH November 22, 2004	In this letter to Mayor Newsom, a psychiatrist at LHH describes several problems facing residents and staff at LHH; disagrees with statements made by Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of Public Health, during a November 17 meeting between the Mayor and Sister Miriam Walsh; and poses three questions to the Mayor, including what plan is being developed to preserve LHH for elderly San Franciscans.
Supervisor Elsbernd on LHH Chinese Patients November 24, 2004	In this letter to Supervisor Elsbernd, six LHH social workers discuss the discriminatory admissions policy at LHH and the dilemmas facing Chinese citizens, since local community hospitals are having diffuclty discharging patients to Laguna Honda Hospital, and Chinese and other Asian San Franciscans are being denied admission to LHH.
Supervisor Elsbernd on LHH Chinese Patients Novewmber 28, 2004	In this letter to Supervisor Elsbernd, three LHH MD’s describe the declining admission rates of Chinese patients at LHH, including data before and after the introduction of the “flow project.” Courtesy copies to Mayor Newsom; Dr. Katz; and John Kanaley, LHH’s CEO, among others.
Statement By Rene Thomas, MD December 14, 2005	In this statement to be read into the record of the December 16 Town Hall meeting held at St. Brendan’s Parish Hall, an LHH psychiatrist (who was called out of town) shares her concerns about the situation at Laguna Honda, regarding patients who cannot be safely managed at LHH with its current security, including one who had “threatened to shoot everyone on his ward.”
John Kanaley, Executive Administrator, LHH Follow-up to December 16 Town Hall Meeting at St. Brendan’s Parish Hall December 19, 2005	In this letter to Mr. Kanaley, the West of Twin Peaks Central Council’s Laguna Honda Hospital Committee raises a number of questions about issues discussed during the Town Hall meeting held on December 16 at St. Brendan’s Parish Hall. They request that the admissions policy be changed back to the pre-March 2004 version. Courtesy copies to Supervisor Elsbernd and the Coalition for San Francisco Negihborhoods, among others.
John Kanaley, Executive Administrator, LHH, on Controversies January 2, 2005	In this letter to Mr. Kanaley, two LHH MD’s describe the continuing controversies regarding LHH. They chronicle, and refute, a variety of inaccurate statements made by DPH administrators dating back to May 2004. Courtesy copies to Mayor Newsom; Dr. Katz; Edward, Chow, MD, Presdient of the San Francisco Helath Commision; and Larry Funk, Former LHH CEO, among others.
Mayor Newsom, on His Lack of a Mayoral Vision for Laguna Honda Hospital January 5, 2005	In this Open Letter to the Mayor, an independent community observer questions why Mayor Newsom avoided answering direct questions posed to him during a November 17 meeting at Laguna Honda Hospital organized by Sister Miriam Walsh, and asks the Mayor when he is going to issue a “mayoral vision for LHH’s mission.” Courtesy copies to the Board of Supervisors, the Health Commission, Dr. Katz, and others.
Board of Supervisors Regarding Discrimination Against the Elderly January 6, 2005	In this e-mail to the Board of Supervisors, a former LHH MD outlines potential discrimination against San Francisco’s elderly and disabled, since DPH is “breaking faith” with San Franciscans who voted to rebuild LHH for the frail elderly and the disabled. Notes that the admission of younger patients having short-term social rehab needs who are displacing frail elderly San Francisco residents needing long-term care is moving into high gear.