Adventist Health System

Four regional health care organizations said Tuesday that they have formed a statewide network they hope will appeal to large companies by giving their employees access to medical facilities throughout California. Officials of the four organizations said their effort is a response to the prospect of national health reform and the pressure of employers that are demanding cuts in medical costs.

Speaking of delays, some mergers also are taking longer than expected. South Coast Medical Center of Laguna Beach intended to hook up with Roseville-based Adventist Health last summer. But the 210-bed hospital didn't tie the knot with the Seventh-day Adventist Church's health care network until earlier this month. The reason?

One of Orange County's few remaining independent hospitals chose Friday to merge with a regional network of hospitals run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In a departure from a trend among nonprofit hospitals to go commercial, South Coast Medical Center--a 210-bed institution that has served Laguna Beach and nearby communities since 1959--decided to remain a charity hospital.

One of Orange County's few remaining independent hospitals chose Friday to merge with a regional network of hospitals run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In a departure from a trend among nonprofit hospitals to go commercial, South Coast Medical Center--a 210-bed institution that has served Laguna Beach and nearby communities since 1959--decided to remain a charity hospital.

Speaking of delays, some mergers also are taking longer than expected. South Coast Medical Center of Laguna Beach intended to hook up with Roseville-based Adventist Health last summer. But the 210-bed hospital didn't tie the knot with the Seventh-day Adventist Church's health care network until earlier this month. The reason?

* Linda J. McCray, vice president for finance at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, has been appointed the senior vice president for finance for the newly formed Adventist Health System/West-Southern California Healthcare Network. * David Watkins of Glendale was recently named director of marketing for Garfield Medical Center in Monterey Park.

WASHINGTON - As the Obama administration begins to implement $85 billion in cuts to federal spending this year, no part of the budget other than defense will take a bigger hit than healthcare. And the so-called sequester appears likely to have a disproportionate effect on areas of the health system already hobbled by years of retrenchment or underfunding, including public health and medical research. Although the Medicare program will account for the largest chunk of dollars cut from healthcare simply because of its great size, the scheduled 2% reduction in its payments to doctors and hospitals is significantly smaller than what many public health and research programs face.

CBRE Group Inc., the world's largest commercial real estate brokerage, turned a profit in the first quarter as U.S. property sales took off. The Los Angeles firm said Tuesday that income from arranging transactions to buy or rent space in offices, warehouses and other commercial properties helped revenue increase 14% from a year earlier to $1.35 billion. Growth was driven primarily by activity in the United States as leasing transactions fell off in Europe and sales slid in Asian markets.

After 22 years in private practice and 18 as a Superior Court judge, Robert P. Schifferman decided "to stop and smell the roses," he said. His retirement was effective Dec. 4. Schifferman, who attended Glendale schools, served as Superior Court judge in Glendale from 1977 to 1989, longer than any other judge has served in that court. He has watched Glendale change from a bedroom community to a big city, but says that "through all the changes, the things I valued stayed the same."

* Universal Pictures, Universal City, announced the appointments of Claudia Gray as executive vice president and Paul Hardart as senior vice president of the company's new in-house specialty film division. They will report to co-chairmen of Universal Pictures Brian Mulligan and Stacey Snider. Gray will oversee all marketing services and Hardart will be in charge of all business and operations.

Four regional health care organizations said Tuesday that they have formed a statewide network they hope will appeal to large companies by giving their employees access to medical facilities throughout California. Officials of the four organizations said their effort is a response to the prospect of national health reform and the pressure of employers that are demanding cuts in medical costs.

Hospitals can no longer recover additional costs from insured patients by placing liens on personal injury awards, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday. Plaintiff attorneys hailed the unanimous decision as a victory for consumers. For California hospitals, it marked a financial setback, cutting off another source of potential income.

Facing its first operating deficit in 10 years, Loma Linda University Medical Center plans to lay off as many as 600 employees by July 1 to reduce costs. The layoffs would save the medical center an estimated $20,000 to $30,000 annually per employee, or $12 million to $18 million, Loma Linda President John D. Ruffcorn said Tuesday. The medical center, which now employs 4,500 people, has an operating budget of $250 million, he said. But Ruffcorn declined to disclose the extent of the deficit.