Officials in California's San Joaquin County voted to extend a hospital management agreement with a health system owned by Chicago-based CommonSpirit, using $4.5 million of taxpayer funds to do so, according to a Nov. 15 Stockton Record report.
San Francisco-based Dignity Health, owned by CommonSpirit, agreed to partner in managing Stockton, Calif.-based San Joaquin General Hospital last year. A Dignity Health executive, Richard Castro, then replaced the former San Joaquin CEO to run the hospital.
Millions of dollars in efficiency improvements have been made at the hospital, including $30 million in billing practices, according to the report.
The new management agreement will expire June 30, 2025.