Operation of San Leandro (CA) Hospital's ER hangs in the balance

The possible closure of San Leandro (CA) Hospital's emergency room, where 27,000 patients a year are treated, has become a huge issue for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors are set to vote on a plan by Sutter Health to build a $300 million hospital to replace Castro Valley's earthquake-vulnerable Eden Medical Center, a project that would lead to the closure of San Leandro Hospital's emergency room. Sutter Health also manages that hospital for the county, and starting next year would redirect patients to the Castro Valley hospital and other medical centers.