Calls to reopen the Mickelson pool in San Mateo are growing, with Assembly Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin and David Canepa, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, the latest to urge Sutter Health to reopen the beloved community pool.
“I just think a permanent closure is unacceptable, and I don’t think it has to happen when I believe the resources are there,” Mullin, D-South San Francisco, said. “A permanent closure is unnecessary.”
“I urge you to explore possible solutions to keep the pool open. Advocates have identified potential private donors to help defray the costs associated with reopening the pool, which should be a remedy to be considered,” Canepa said in a Dec. 14 letter to Sutter Health executives.
Sutter Health announced the permanent closure of the Mickelson Arthritis and Rehabilitation Center in June after its original closure in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Located at 75 S. El Camino Real in downtown San Mateo at Mills Health Center, it is the only pool in the county that caters for seniors, people with chronic pain or disabilities and rehabbing surgery patients through warm water therapy techniques. The pool has a ramp that descends into the pool, a hoist and wall space at various depths not available elsewhere in the county. Community members were shocked and angry following the closure announcement. Several users started a grassroots protest and movement to stop its closure, asking Sutter Health to work with them and convincing others to take up the cause. County and state policymakers are taking notice and demanding action from Sutter Health.
Mullin wants to meet with executives at Sutter Health and the Peninsula Health Care District and community stakeholders to discuss permanently reopening the pool. He is also committed to finding solutions to potential funding issues for its reopening. Mullin noted Sutter Health is a very profitable private company that takes public money as well through the federal CARES Act. Mullin said that the Peninsula Health Care District also has funding available and oversight responsibility of the Mickelson pool. He will look for financial opportunities to help at the state level but believes resources exist currently without state intervention. Given the number of people with special needs, chronic pain and rehabbers who use the site, he is convinced its reopening should be a priority for Sutter Health.
“I just believe the resources are there if this if given the proper prioritization in terms of a reopening,” Mullin said.
The situation also prompted Burlingame attorney Joe Cotchett to suggest this week he may pursue legal action after calling for a meeting and answers to his questions. He has his Burlingame-based firm, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, working pro bono with pool users and community members following their requests for help.
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Mullin called the shifting reasoning and explanations for the pool’s closure troubling. Mills-Peninsula Medical Center CEO Janet Wagner said in an October letter to the Peninsula Health Care District that it considers the pool “permanently closed at this time.” Wagner cited the pandemic, COVID-19 exposure, and the indoor facility’s lack of ventilation and dehumidifiers. Sutter Health has also spoken previously about focusing on providing quality acute care resources and manning its financial resources. Mullin understood the concern about COVID-19 but said there would be a day when the pandemic ends and Sutter must reopen the pool. Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco, a comparable therapy pool, recently reopened and has met San Francisco’s public health restrictions.
“I understand the COVID aspect of this for the initial closure, but I don’t think COVID should be a reason for permanent closure if there are protocols put into place and appropriate upgrades made to the facility,” Mullin said.
Mullin wants to set up a meeting with Wagner and Peninsula Health Care District CEO Cheryl Fama as soon as possible to discuss options and respond to the community. He wants community members to be part of the meeting for constructive conversations. Users fighting to save the pool have said that it has been hard to meet and get answers from Wagner about the pool. Both the district and the medical center did not respond to a request for comment.
“I am confident that I will be able to set up a meeting with Janet Wagner and Cheryl Fama and put us all in the same room to see how we can chart a path forward,” Mullin said.
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(1) comment
Maybe Mr. Mullin and Mr. Canepa could use their influence to reimburse Sutter and have the state take on any liability, along with relaxing legal and regulatory requirements for a health care facility. Personally, I’d like to see the facility stay open as it does offer unique features and benefits but it has to make financial sense for Sutter. Note to any health care providers thinking about opening a one- or two-of-a-kind facility, think twice, else you may potentially be saddled with paying for it forever, even if it means you have to run it at a loss.
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