Health Crisis

SUTTER FACES TROUBLE BEYOND VIRUS

There’s a big company in Sacramento that provides services everyone needs but tries to avoid. The pandemic wrecked the company’s business plans but made it more essential than ever. And the company is in trouble with the state attorney general.

The company is Sutter Health.

These are diffi cult times for Sutter, which began 99 years ago as a private hospital to replace an adobe clinic near the corner of 28th and K streets. The motivation for Sutter was the 1918 fl u pandemic, which killed almost 30,000 people in California between 1918 and 1921—when the state had just 3.5 million residents.

Threatened by the virus’ effi ciency, medical and civic leaders were eager

RG

By R.E. Graswich

to build a modern hospital. They named it after the fort across the street.

Today, Sutter is anything but a lone hospital. It employs more than 53,000 people across a network of fi ve regional medical foundations and 24 hospitals in Northern California and Hawaii.

Despite its size and success, Sutter faces unprecedented challenges. The COVID-19 crisis disrupted deliveries of medical services and prompted people to delay or skip doctor’s visits. Critical-care beds have fi lled with coronavirus patients. Simple acts such as visiting loved ones at Sutter Medical Center are either impossible or extraordinarily hard.

And Sutter Health is trying to manage a $575 million settlement with State Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who accused the nonprofi t of price gouging and monopolistic behavior. Unions and employers joined the lawsuit against Sutter.

Sutter Health is doing its best to soldier on, as illustrated by a statement to Inside Sacramento from Dr. William Isenberg, chief quality and safety offi cer: “Our hospitals, clinics and all care facilities are open and ready to provide care. We’ve taken several steps to help our patients, clinicians and staff remain safe.”

Isenberg says Sutter mandates masks and isolation wards for patients with COVID-19 symptoms. He mentions screenings for all employees when they start their shifts. He cites extra cleaning and disinfecting procedures.

For Sutter Health, the narrative goal is to make the community believe things are as normal as can be. The Sutter website opens with a headline proclaiming, “It’s time to get the care you’ve been waiting for.” A subhead addresses anxieties: “We’re taking extra precautions to keep you safe.” A blue COVID-19 banner shows pandemic resources, but once the banner is closed, coronavirus references all but vanish.

In his statement, Isenberg acknowledges various preparations for coronavirus surges. But the pandemic hasn’t stopped Sutter’s ability to perform routine duties. He writes, “We are experiencing an increase in cases in some of our footprint. Because of the breadth of our network, we are able to care for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients across our communities.”

Despite efforts to move forward, Sutter Health is fi nancially hurting— thanks largely to the virus. The pandemic prompted Sutter to seek and receive hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid. At the same time, Sutter tried to delay payment on the $575 million settlement.

The agreement followed a lawsuit where the attorney general claimed Sutter Health patients, their employers and unions were forced to pay infl ated prices for medical care.

In trying to delay or renegotiate the settlement, Sutter downplayed its “open for business” narrative. The virus was prominent in Sutter’s defense—it’s why Sutter might seek to increase fees beyond limits established by the settlement.

“Adjusting our entire integrated network to respond to COVID-19 has been an incredibly costly and diffi cult endeavor that will signifi cantly impact us for years to come,” Sutter says in a statement.

Add to these problems a symbolic dilemma. Sutter’s identity is being challenged by calls to rid the community of racist legacy monuments. In the 1800s at his fort, John Sutter enslaved hundreds of Miwok and Maidu people. He was responsible for the assaults and deaths of countless Native Americans.

As social justice protests moved through Sacramento this summer, Sutter Medical Center removed a statue of Sutter after it was vandalized with paint. The name stayed.

R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Previous columns can be found and shared at the all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento. n

JOIN US FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 Soiree & (ART) Auction To Benefit WIND YOUTH SERVICES I’m a proud board member of WIND Youth Services because this organization serves more than 1,000 youth annually who are experiencing homelessness. They offer transitional housing programs, permanent supportive housing, and three shelter programs. Their Drop-In Center offers case management, crisis counseling, respite, showers, hot meals, employment and health services, and much more. Cecily Hastings, Publisher, Inside Sacramento To see more art items and to register for and attend the event

visit soiree.windyouth.org

Jill Estroff, Rose Garden Basketball, acrylic on canvas, 16” x 20”, Estimated Value $500

Timothy Mulligan, Road with Blue Shadow, acrylic on canvas, 11” x 14”, Estimated Value $950

Margarita Chaplinska, Flower Study, oil on canvas, 9” x 12”, Estimated Value $450

Richard Stein, Yolo Wetlands, acrylic on canvas, 48” x 36”, Estimated Value $1,500 Kathy Dana, Home at Last, acrylic on canvas, 8”x 16”, Estimated Value $550

A special thank you to art consultant Nisa Hayden for curating the art for the auction.

RIGHT:Leslie McCarron, A Big, Fat Bud, oil on wood panel, 8” x 8”, Estimated Value $240