On Tuesday 1/11, our Warm Water Wellness Board of Directors met with Assemblymember Kevin Mullin. On Friday 1/14, we met with State Senator Josh Becker who agreed to coordinate his efforts with Mullin. Previously, when interviewed by the San Mateo Daily Journal, Mullin said that he plans “to set up a meeting with [Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula CEO Janet] Wagner… 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.” 

Mullin noted, “Sutter Health is a very profitable private company that takes public money as well through the federal CARES Act [$850 million.] 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.”

Mullin further explained that the “Pomeroy Recreation & Rehabilitation Center in San Francisco, a comparable therapy pool, recently reopened and has met San Francisco’s public health restrictions” and has had zero instances of COVID-19 transmission attributed to their facility since reopening.

On Sunday 1/16, Supervisor David Canepa invited us to work with his team to draft legislation for the SM Board of Supervisors meeting in February. The BOS will vote on this resolution that encourages Sutter Heath to reverse its decision to permanently close the Mickelson therapy pool.

We are grateful for the support we are receiving from influential office holders and hope that more will publicly add their voices. Please write to your city council members and mayors requesting that—if they have not done so already—they generate letters to Sutter Health CEO Sarah Krevans and Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula CEO Janet Wagner insisting that they reopen the Mickelson therapy pool.

Recent press

Please read and share the two LTEs in this week’s Daily Journal.

Twenty-two months bedridden, but hope remains by Mike Schrader

Pediatric aquatic therapy is critical by Xenia Sicat

S.T.O.M.P.! (Save The/Our Mickelson Pool!)

If you would like to join our advocacy group, please email us at savethemickelsonpool@gmail.com