The Palo Verde Healthcare District (PVHD) Wednesday during a special meeting voted unanimously to authorize the negotiation and acceptance of an approximately $1 million loan from the county.
The board also authorized senior staff, the legal team and consultants to work with the county, the city and other stakeholders to develop a management plan for the hospital’s emergency department.
“We have to have the hospital, it’s not an option,” Director Sandra Hudson said at the January 14 meeting. “I think we all have to come together and recognize that it’s not anything that does not affect all of us, so I thank the county, [and] I thank the city for their hard work.”
The county’s proposal included a loan of approximately $1 million to keep the hospital’s emergency department open until the district and the county agreed to a plan related to a county-led independent stakeholder “strike force.”
That strike force would work to independently stabilize and manage the hospital’s emergency department for approximately six months, assess current conditions and make recommendations for next steps. The proposal by the county only covers the hospital’s emergency department.
“I am thankful for the support of my colleagues to assist the people of the Palo Verde community who desperately need access to emergency medical care,” Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, whose district includes Blythe, said in a statement. “I am proud of the board of supervisors, County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen and our county teams for their unwavering dedication to meet the safety net needs of our residents.”
PVHD attorney Lena Wade said she received the proposal shortly before the meeting, recommending that the board both add it to the agenda as a late item and push all other items on the posted agenda until a meeting set for 5 p.m. Friday. The location of the meeting was not immediately announced.
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Those other agenda items included a request from Legacy MD Medical Group Inc. out of Chula Vista to purchase the hospital, interviewing and appointing a new board member to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Director Rosie Rowell last November and the acceptance of the January 7 resignation of Director Dr. David Brooks.
In his resignation letter, included in the agenda packet for the meeting, Brooks said stepping down was “in the best interest of restoring and strengthening community trust through the appointment of a new hospital board.”
Earlier this month, it was announced that closure was imminent after the California Department of Health Care Services declined the district’s request for funding through the Medi-Cal Intergovernmental Transfer Voluntary Rate Range Program. The closure date was pushed to 11:59 p.m. January 16 after the district and the city of Blythe came to an agreement on a $330,000 bridge loan.
Last May, PVHD announced that the hospital would be suspending patient admissions due to financial issues. In September, the Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) voted to begin the process of dissolving the district. In October, the hospital filed for bankruptcy prompting LAFCO to reevaluate its next steps. That same month, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved a property tax revenue advance to support continued hospital operations.
If the hospital closes, more than 17,000 residents will be left without local access to emergency care, according to the city. Those with PPO plans would be forced to travel 50 miles to La Paz Regional Hospital in Arizona, while those with HMOs would need to travel 100 miles to John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio or other Coachella Valley hospitals.
As negotiations between the county and PVHD continue, the county urged residents of Blythe to call 911 during emergencies to reach a dispatcher, noting that pre-hospital care was still available and would remain operational.
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LegacyMD Medical Group supports the County’s offer. We are a medical and managed healthcare organization with over 200 physicians in Imperial and Riverside counties. Our expansion into Blythe is strengthened by the County’s support of Palo Verde Hospital. Kudos to Supervisor Manny Perez and County Executive Officer Jeffrey Van Wagenen.
LegacyMD Medical Group supports the County’s offer. We are a medical and managed healthcare organization with over 200 physicians in Imperial and Riverside counties. Our expansion into Blythe is strengthened by the County’s support of Palo Verde Hospital. Kudos to Supervisor Manny Perez and County Executive Officer Jeffrey Van Wagenen, Blythe Mayor Joey DeConinck, Vice Mayor Johnny Rodriguez and City Manager Mallory Crecelius.