Prior to closing a private acute care hospital or an acute psychiatric hospital (as defined under California Health and Safety Code Section 1250), and/or any clinics or out-patient facilities connected thereto, and prior to transferring units or services to a new location, or eliminating or reducing the level of services provided, the hospital shall provide public notice not less than ninety days in advance. Such notice must be posted at the main Information Desk in the lobby of the facility, at all entrances to the facility or facilities affected, and must be published in a local newspaper or newspapers through which at least twenty-five percent of the households and businesses in the City of Berkeley are reached through regular distribution. The posted notice shall be clear and legible using a 12 point font, or larger and must be posted in at least two languages in addition to English. The two languages shall be chosen in a manner designed to provide notice to those non-English-speaking persons who predominate among the hospital’s patient and employee population. The hospital shall provide the notice in additional languages if necessary to fairly inform the patient population.

The content of the notice shall at a minimum provide a detailed list of the proposed reduction or changes and the potential number of patients and employees, affected by this facility and service, current utilization rates for service(s) being discontinued, describe the anticipated impact of discontinuance on individuals in the hospital’s service area, and provide the date proposed for the discontinuation, transfer or reduction of services.

The hospital shall also send the notice to any labor organization representing employees of the hospital, whether or not the intended changes to hospital or facility services directly impact those employees.

This notice requirement shall apply only to discontinuation, reductions and/or transfers of services expected to remain in effect for 90 days, or more. (Ord. 7535-NS § 1 (part), 2017: Ord. 5891-NS § 1, 1988)