Marin General Hospital and Sonoma Valley Hospital have finalized a management services and affiliation agreement, a move both administrations say will help reduce costs while keeping two independent healthcare districts viable in a land of corporate giants. The Marin Healthcare District put forth a proposal to share management services agreement, and the Sonoma Valley Health Care District was set to approve the agreement this week. Talks between the two healthcare districts began last September as each hospital was charting its course through rough financial and transitional periods. Marin General, the North Bay's largest independent hospital with 235 beds, parted ways with Sutter Health nine months ago after a longstanding battle for control of the hospital. Sonoma Valley, meanwhile, struggled to remain financially sound, posting an $850,000 loss in 2009.
