Tri-City Medical Center losing its baby business to Palomar sandiegouniontribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sandiegouniontribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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A group of doctors and nurses gathered to protest Palomar Health’s decision to pursue a controversial new doctor contract for hospital-based physicians and other key medical staff Wednesday.
But, while many passing motorists honked their support, the demonstration, and others like it that have occurred in recent weeks, did not cause Palomar leadership to back down.
Officials confirmed in statements received Wednesday evening that the final moment to commit to working with Emergent Medical Associates and its subsidiary Benchmark Hospitalists & Intensivists has passed. Those who have not signed contracts or signaled their intent to do so will be replaced with new hires.
A divided Escondido City Council has approved the 510-unit Palomar Heights project, a development that will replace the former Palomar Hospital campus with a mix of housing types and commercial uses advocates say will spur revitalization of the city’s downtown corridor.
The project was approved last week on a 3-2 vote, with council members Mike Morasco, Tina Inscoe and Joe Garcia in favor, and Mayor Paul McNamara and Councilwoman Consuelo Martinez voting no.
By the same margin, the council voted to exempt the project from a requirement to join the city’s Community Facilities District, a mechanism established by the council last year to recover the costs of providing city services to new developments.