Wednesday, October 1, 1997
UCLA Med Center puts dialysis unit up for sale
DIALYSIS: Some workers worry about effects on job security,
benefits
By Kathryn Combs
Daily Bruin Contributor
By Kathryn Combs
Daily Bruin Contributor
Following recent privatization attempts elsewhere in the
University of California, the UCLA Dialysis Center is currently up
for sale.
On July 21, the Dialysis Unit requested proposals from companies
that were interested in taking over management.
And early last week, officials narrowed the search down to three
private corporations.
UCLAs dialysis unit provides hemodialysis a crucial process for
patients with severe kidney problems to 30 to 40 patients
daily.
Frances Ridlehoover, the associate director of professional and
ambulatory services, confirmed that the unit is up for the sale
Tuesday, citing a national trend affecting dialysis centers
everywhere.
We are one of the few academic medical centers that are still
managing our dialysis unit, Ridlehoover said.
We are considering a purchase option because there are a number
of large national companies that provide excellent patient service
and will also help with our research, Ridlehoover continued.
Hoping to narrow down their options by the end of this fall,
administrators have not yet decided who the buyer will be.
Part of our goal is getting with someone who has our mission in
mind: education, research and quality patient care, said Annie
Corea, an administrator with the UCLA Dialysis Unit.
In the whole country there are few dialysis units that are left
within universities. If I need to get capital to my department, I
need to go through the entire institution … whereas in a private
company as you need capital you get what you need instead of having
to go through layers and layers, Corea asserted.
The sale of services such as the dialysis center has happened
elsewhere in UCLAs Medical Center, and officials assert that the
university is not selling to just anyone.
This is not something that the university has approached
haphazardly. The point is that we need to compete, Corea said.
If we can buddy with a big company, we can do a lot of research.
We want our care to remain the same. That is one of the reasons
that we are scrutinizing the companies that have applied, Corea
said.
The impact this will have on employees is unclear. Despite
reassurances, some employees feel that their concerns seem to be
taking a back seat to administration and cost cutting.
One employee with the dialysis unit told The Bruin that
employees are concerned with job security and how the sale will
affect their benefits and pay.
Administrators refute these concerns.
All of the companies that have responded have indicated that
they will hire most of our staff if not all of them, Ridlehoover
said.
It is potentially a very good thing, depending on whether we are
able to negotiate a program that we are able to go through with,
she said."(The companies) will hire most of our staff if not all of
them."
Frances Ridlehoover
Associate Director