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Strengthening BCH Oakland’s Financial Health
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Rumor
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Fact
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The affiliation is harming BCH Oakland’s financial health.
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The opposite is actually true. The affiliation rescued BCH Oakland after years of being financially vulnerable.
- Since 2014, UCSF’s direct contributions have resulted in more than $181M for BCH Oakland’s care of pediatric Medi-Cal patients in Alameda County.
- The affiliation brought in more than $200 million in philanthropy for building programs and supporting operations for Oakland.
- Because of UCSF’s support, BCH Oakland has been able to survive financially during the COVID pandemic.
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Expanding Children’s Health Services and Programs
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Rumor
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Fact
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The affiliation has reduced children’s services in Oakland.
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This rumor gets it wrong. In fact, the affiliation has:
- Enabled Oakland’s Pediatric Trauma Center to remain in Oakland, when more than 40 California hospitals have closed their emergency departments.
- Expanded BCH Oakland’s specialty programs—such as physical rehabilitation—and upgraded services that were unavailable or had declined.
- Recruited new doctors in neurology, neurosurgery and gastroenterology.
- Rebuilt Oakland’s cardiology program, with a larger cardiac team and more heart surgery services.
- Added new programs in dermatology, rheumatology, gender identity, headache, sports medicine, concussions and Down Syndrome.
- Set up new Oakland physician practices in orthopedics, ear/nose/throat and pulmonology.
- Expanded mental health care for children, enrolling 42 pediatric practices in its psychiatry telehealth program so far, covering more than 200,000 children.
- Added 220 community physicians to its primary care pediatrician network, reaching 56 locations in 24 cities.
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Oakland’s patients are being sent to San Francisco, reducing the options for low-income patients.
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This is a misleading statement. In fact, because of the affiliation, Oakland children have access to more options for their care.
- UCSF Health is well known for offering specialty care that can’t be found in most hospitals in Northern California. That care is now accessible to BCH Oakland patients, too.
- Children can receive care in either hospital, based on their medical needs – not their insurance coverage.
- More than 180 UCSF doctors practice in Oakland, with about half of them there full-time, to bring more specialty care directly to Oakland patients.
- Since the affiliation, the Benioff Children’s Hospitals – together – have ranked among the top hospitals nationwide in all 10 specialties by US News & World Report, which neither had achieved on its own.
- This care is available to all patients, in either hospital, regardless of their ability to pay.
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Investing in Oakland Facilities and Resources
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Rumor
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Fact
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The affiliation is taking resources out of Oakland and sending them to San Francisco.
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The millions of dollars in investment made in Oakland since the affiliation show that this claim is simply false.
- We continue to invest in Oakland facilities to help ensure its status as a world-class safety net hospital and Level One Pediatric Trauma Center for years to come.
- More than $200M in investments in Oakland facilities have already been made, and the goal is to complete another $120M in projects by the end of 2022, focused on seismic upgrades and modernizing our acute care services.
- This includes $90 million in philanthropy to support the new BCH Oakland outpatient clinic – a state-of-the-art facility that expanded outpatient care by 40%.
- We expect to start phase 2 soon of the Oakland expansion soon, launching an estimated $1 billion, 10-year initiative that will include a new patient pavilion.
- The affiliation allowed BCH Oakland to access $50 million in bond funds to improve its intensive care units, inpatient areas and seismic safety.
- The investment in Oakland’s Electronic Health Record system has helped the hospital reduce costs, improve efficiency and provide better care for patients.
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Strengthening Health Equity as a Key Priority
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Rumor
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Fact
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The affiliation has reduced health equity and hurt vulnerable children in the Oakland community.
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In fact, serving the most vulnerable is at the center of both UCSF’s and BCH Oakland’s missions. It guides everything we do.
- Nearly 70% of BCH Oakland’s patients receive care under Medi-Cal. No child is turned away due to a family’s inability to pay.
- We are strengthening programs that matter most to our Oakland community, including ACEs research and care, and sickle cell therapies.
- Since the affiliation, Oakland’s expertise in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has led to a screening tool that is now used in children's clinics statewide.
- BCH Oakland’s Sickle Cell Disease Center is one of the largest pediatric-adult centers in the world, and we are continuing to expand care for patients and research into new therapies to treat this debilitating condition.
- We are building diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs to support our staff and the community around us.
- Oakland’s DEI efforts focus on workforce development and staff training, as part of health equity.
- Our DEI Council is partnering with UCSF to study how patients’ health is affected by race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Our goal is to translate that research into better care and equity for the families we serve.
- We are working with our community leaders to get input on hospital decisions that impact them.
- Our Community Action Board has 17 diverse members of Oakland’s business, community clinics and our Oakland communities to weigh in on our plans.
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