Committee advances ordinance requiring hospitals to report out‑of‑county transfers for subacute care

Supervisor Gordon Marr's Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee on Thursday recommended that the Board of Supervisors advance an ordinance requiring general acute care hospitals and hospital‑based skilled nursing facilities to report annually to the Department of Public Health on (1) the number and demographic characteristics of patients transferred outside San Francisco for subacute skilled nursing care and (2) patients who qualify for subacute care but were not transferred.

Bill Barnes of Supervisor Safaie's office, who presented the ordinance at the committee, said the measure was revised since it last appeared to expand the list of facilities covered and to move the reporting start date to Oct. 1. He asked the committee for a positive recommendation to the full board and said the office is available to work on additional amendments as needed. "We would ask for your positive recommendation," Barnes said.

Chair Marr and committee members expressed support for gathering data to better understand out‑of‑county transfers and an apparent shortage of subacute and skilled nursing care in the city. Supervisors requested that staff duplicate the file so they can consider broader amendments before the Board meeting; committee staff confirmed the duplicated file will be recommended to the full Board with a positive recommendation.

The committee recorded the procedural vote on the duplication and subsequent routing: Supervisor Haney was noted as absent; Vice Chair Stephanie and Chair Marr recorded their support and the motion passed without objection. The committee also noted the ordinance will be tracked to the Board of Supervisors agenda (scheduled for 04/27/2022 unless changed).

Committee members said the new reporting would help the city better quantify where residents requiring subacute care go and guide future policy work on housing and care plans for seniors and people with disabilities. No formal changes to the ordinance were made at the hearing; staff will prepare the duplicated file and the ordinance is expected to be considered by the full Board.

The committee's action was procedural and forwards the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors for final consideration.