San Pablo Hospital That Serves Thousands Likely To Close After Parcel Tax Fails

SAN PABLO (CBS SF) -- A hospital that serves tens of thousands of people every year in the East Bay will likely close.

Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo is set to close on the first of July after a parcel tax failed.

45,000 patients, most from Richmond, San Pablo and Martinez will be permanently displaced by the closure.

"This hospital has been able to pull a rabbit out of a hat many times. It looks like we may have no more rabbits to pull out of a hat," Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia said.

Patients will be facing longer emergency room waits at other hospitals due to the closure as the number of emergency beds in the area will drop from 40 to 15.

Nurses say it's a matter of life and death.

"People will not only die, the adjacent communities will suffer a lot because it will not be able to take on the onslaught of the sick people going to them," ER Nurse Maria Sahagun said.

The hospital had been losing $18 million a year.