Health Commission approves Laguna Honda Hospital’s application for CMS recertification

The San Francisco Health Commission on Aug. 1 approved a resolution allowing Laguna Honda Hospital to apply for recertification as a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provider.

Mr. Pickens, speaking for Laguna Honda, told the commission that the hospital’s goal is to "apply for and secure recertification before the September 19 date" and described work underway to complete hundreds of corrective‑action milestones tied to CMS monitoring surveys. He said the June monitoring survey produced 33 findings and that the hospital had proposed action plans with roughly 290 monitoring milestones and about 85 additional milestones stemming from other deficiencies.

The commission moved and seconded the resolution and voted in favor; the chair recorded the motion as approved. Commissioners voiced gratitude for hospital staff and labor partners, with Commissioner Guillermo calling the progress "very positive" and Commissioner Chow asking for clarification on licensing categories and bed restoration steps. Mr. Pickens explained that because Laguna Honda includes acute‑care beds it must apply as "a distinct part of an acute care hospital" to restore skilled‑nursing (SNF) and nursing facility (NF) recognition, and that restoring bed counts would follow the relicensing step if federal regulators do not automatically restore prior bed authorizations.

During public comment, a caller raised concerns about the meeting agenda order and requested more public explanation of a clause referring to "dual certified distinct part" SNF/NF status and questioned whether the application would be filed immediately or later; the commission acknowledged there had been multiple agenda versions circulating and said it would offer additional public‑comment opportunities to ensure callers have a chance to be heard.

The resolution does not record a roll‑call tally in the public transcript; the chair announced the motion passed after members answered "Aye." The commission noted that final action on bed restoration will depend on federal review and any subsequent steps required to reinstate prior Medicare and Medicaid bed authorizations.