Sutter Residents Stand Up
CIR Members Lead Effort for Healthcare
In January 2007, Sutter Health, a private HMO, announced the closing of its hospital in Santa Rosa, CA, which provides vital health services to the Sonoma County community. This sudden announcement brought CIR members at Sutter Hospital in Santa Rosa together with other healthcare unions and community groups to form the Healthcare Justice Sonoma County coalition, in an attempt to hold Sutter Health responsible to the community needs that take precedence over its bottom line. This broad coalition effort has forced Sutter to delay the hospital’s original date of closing, and continues to push to maintain and improve the availability and quality of healthcare in Sonoma County.
As a transitional plan for Sutter Hospital is being developed by county officials, Healthcare Justice Sonoma County is dedicated to ensuring that the important health needs of Sonoma County residents are not forgotten in the shuffle. At the local premiere of Sicko, Michael Moore’s new documentary about the deleterious role of profit in the US healthcare system, CIR members joined coalition partners in educating the local community about the connection between the issues raised in the movie and the local situation surrounding Sutter Hospital. They also petitioned for signatures asking the County Board of Supervisors to make protecting and improving access to quality healthcare in the local community the first priority in any plan for Sutter Hospital.
