Sutter Health has decided to permanently close the therapeutic pool at the Mickelson Arthritis and Rehabilitation Center in San Mateo.
Attempts to save the Mickelson Pool in San Mateo could soon have additional support from prominent Bay Area trial lawyer Joseph Cotchett as his firm looks into the circumstances of its closure.
“Yes, I have been in corresponding and meeting with several senior citizens who are vitally concerned for their health. It’s a very serious matter because doctors prescribed the therapeutics that you get out of the pool,” Cotchett said.
Cotchett said while he was not representing anyone yet, his Burlingame-based firm, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, is looking into what it can do to help Mickelson Pool advocates from a legal perspective, with it examining legal aspects around the situation.
The Mickelson Arthritis and Rehabilitation Center pool at the Mills Health Center campus was often used by seniors and people with chronic pain or disabilities for warm water therapy. Mills-Peninsula is an affiliate of Sutter Health, which announced the permanent closure of the Mills-Peninsula Medical Center aquatic program in a June 24 letter to pool users. Mickelson Pool originally closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic. The building is located at 75 S. El Camino Real at the Mills Health Center campus.
Cotchett has more than 50 years of experience as a lawyer, winning several famous jury verdicts and settlements. He is known for being the lead trial lawyer in the Lincoln Savings & Loan Association/American Continental Corporation case in 1990 involving Charles Keating. Cotchett hoped to reach a decision within the next 30 days about the possibility of representation or if his firm will be able to help. He was gravely concerned for the senior citizens who had been using the therapeutic pool, some over 20 years, and no longer had an option nearby. He has not dealt with a case of this nature before. He said his firm was looking into potential tax situations. Cotchett said Sutter Health, as a nonprofit, has a right to close some aspects of its organization, but it also has responsibilities with associated tax benefits to ensure it is serving the community.
Lindsay Raike, a leader with the advocacy group calling to save the Mickelson Pool, said several leaders have met with him twice. She was a pool patron for more than 20 years and helped create the petition to protest the pool being closed. The group, called Save The/Our Mickelson Pool, or STOMP, has been invited to do so weekly to discuss legal strategies.
“Having a nationally recognized attorney on our side is a game-changer in our efforts to save the Mickelson therapy pool. We are immensely grateful for Joseph Cotchett’s generous donation of his time and expertise. With his support for our cause, we believe we can win this fight against the Goliath that is Sutter Health,” Raike said by email.
The Mickelson Pool was financed through community donations, including $1.5 million from the late philanthropist Mack E. Mickelson, after whom the pool is named. Raike noted the pool is the only one in San Mateo County specifically designed for seniors for therapeutic use, people with chronic pain or disabilities and surgery patients. The pool had 90-degree water warmth and featured amenities like a ramp that descended into it, a hoist and wall space at various depths. Mayors for Half Moon Bay and Burlingame have also written to Sutter Health asking for the organization to meet with the pool user advocacy group.
Anyone interested in learning more about getting involved with the advocacy group can email savethemickelsonpool@gmail.com for more information.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
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