San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar said Thursday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) agreed to the city's request to continue holding off on the transfers until Sept. 19.
Melgar said: "My number one priority has always been to protect the residents of Laguna Honda Hospital and their families and loved ones who have been living with instability, fear, and anxiety not knowing what the future may hold,".
Melgar said CMS also extended payments for patient care through March 19, 2024.
Federal and state regulators cited safety concerns at Laguna Honda in April 2022 and required the hospital to move all 700 patients out of the facility by September, while also removing its Medicare and Medicaid provider agreements.
Drug paraphernalia in the facility, a lack of infection prevention and control, and missed doses of medication were among the cited concerns.
In February, the CMS and HHS agreed to allow the hospital to postpone involuntary patient discharges until May, after which the hospital once again asked regulators to extend the grace period past May 19.
Mayor London Breed took to Twitter on Thursday to express her gratitude for the decision.
Breed tweeted: "Laguna Honda Hospital is essential for taking care of some of our most vulnerable residents."
