Supervisor SF, Biden administration trade barbs over Laguna Honda

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What began as a visit by the Biden administration to San Francisco turned into an exchange of criticisms of Laguna Honda’s certification mess.

This week, Supervisor Hillary Ronen slammed US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra for constantly moving patients at the city’s largest medical facility with qualified medical staff. Under a federal mandate to close compliance issues, the Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center has begun transferring patients.

Of these, 12 patients died shortly after leaving the institution. San Francisco was fined $36,000 for transfer-related deaths.

Ronen pulled out of Zuckerberg’s gala at San Francisco General Hospital on Thursday. as a result of an event involving Becerra at City Hall. The former Attorney General of California was also in town to push for insulin price caps for Medicare and Medicaid patients.

She said that San Francisco “shouldn’t represent this man at any event” and that she refuses to attend one “when he has the lives of the people he plays with.”

“He messes up our whole system,” Ronen told The Standard. “We go out of our way to answer any of their criticism. Don’t punish the poor who don’t have other options yet. He holds us hostage every minute.

After federal regulators announced in April 2022 that they would end Medicare and Medicaid dollar funding, they eventually reached an agreement to extend the deadline to bring the Laguna Honda into compliance.

The Laguna Honda postponement was due to end again in February, but the extension was only notified the day before. Last week, San Francisco supervisors criticized the lack of communication and warnings, which is causing suffering to patients, their families and staff.

Honda Lagoon is also not allowed to take on new patients until regulators give permission, clogging the required space at San Francisco’s Zuckerberg General Hospital.

Becerra urged Ronen to “read the facts”. A report published in October said slow progress was being made in retraining staff to comply with the rules, including on basic hygiene measures.

“We are required by law to ensure that patients are taken care of safely and with proper care,” Becerra said at a press conference in rare remarks on the matter. “It’s outlined very clearly. By law, we have no choice but to say that patient safety must come first.”

Ronen responded with a text in The Standard.

“The facts are: 12 people have died, people are stuck in beds at the general hospital because Laguna can’t accept new patients, sick elderly people are sleeping on the street – all this is a direct result of Becerra’s inability to lead,” she wrote.

San Francisco officials from Mayor Breed of London to Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Senator Dianne Feinstein have called on Becerra to end the forced transfer of patients and ensure stability.

Breed’s grandmother, who raised her, was once a patient of Laguna Honda in the last years of her life. At the gala, Breed also shared that her cousin was shot dead by a police officer and spent time recuperating in a Laguna Honda. He required over 13 surgeries and was unable to walk for two years.

“If Laguna Honda didn’t exist, what would it be?” Breed said. “I can’t help but think about how important it is now more than ever that both of these incredible organizations are protected. I appreciate your willingness to work with us to make sure we save Laguna Honda,” she said to Becerra.

Becerra shared concerns about the impact on the ecosystem of skilled nursing facilities.

“We should all be concerned if Laguna Honda doesn’t meet certification requirements, not just the patients and families of those patients, but Laguna Honda administrators as well,” Becerra said. “We need to make sure we all work together to make sure not only that everyone is following the rules, but that people are getting the help they need. We know this community is in desperate need of extra space and beds for people to go to.”

Laguna Honda has until at least May 19 before potentially having to discharge and transfer patients again.

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