Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Statement on Prime Healthcare Decision

Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

SAN FRANCISCO — Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today issued a statement on the decision by Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. and Prime Healthcare Foundation, Inc. (collectively Prime) not to follow through on its proposed purchase of the six Daughters of Charity Health System health facilities. 

“The Daughters of Charity health facilities and the emergency, trauma and surgical services, among others that they provide, are essential to the communities who rely on them.  Following an in-depth review by independent health care consultants, 44 hours of public meetings and review of 14,000 comments from concerned community members, I imposed conditions to ensure the continuity of these health care services, including that the most essential health care services remain in place for ten years. In December of last year, the independent health care consultants recommended the ten-year conditions and Prime was notified at that time. Now, after two and a half months, Prime is saying these conditions are a deal breaker. 

Prime is choosing to walk away from this transaction after publicly stating that it had no issue with the ten-year conditions and intended not to close any of the hospitals or end essential services.  By walking away, Prime is confirming many of the concerns heard at multiple community meetings that the continuity of vital healthcare services in these communities is not its priority.” 

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