Letter: Alta Bates’ closure risks creating a ‘hospital desert’ in Berkeley

Alta Bates’ closure riskscreating a ‘hospital desert’

Re: “East Bay mayor claims ‘lives will be lost’ if Alta Bates closes” (Eastbaytimes.com, Sept. 18):

On Sept. 18, you reported that Alta Bates Medical Center may close by 2030 rather than do a required seismic retrofit. This is timely as it showcases a nationwide epidemic faced by communities struggling to maintain access to quality care for at-risk populations.

As a student and Oakland resident, I find it important to further a discussion regarding a health insurance plan for all Americans. What many don’t realize is the importance of “safety-net” hospitals like Alta Bates, which care for at-risk populations.

We need to advocate for a social insurance model that evenly distributes costs across high- and low-risk patients. If successfully implemented, this model would facilitate access to preventative care services and eliminate sources of excessive cost burden. Americans would pay lower premiums and hospitals would stop “hemorrhaging money.”

Our community needs to demand a better solution before we become the next “hospital desert.”

Christopher RouillardOakland

 

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