Access to emergency medical care in rural Riverside County is on life support, and officials are scrambling to find funding that will prevent Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe from shutting its doors.
In a joint statement Wednesday to the Palo Verde Healthcare District Board of Directors, District 4 Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and county CEO Jeff Van Wagenen offered $1 million to keep the hospital’s emergency department operating, located at 250 N. First St.
For the longer-term, officials proposed to establish a county “stakeholder ‘strike force’ to independently stabilize and manage only the … emergency department for approximately six months, assess current conditions and make recommendations for next steps,” according to the statement.
Perez and Van Wagenen noted “the gravity of the situation facing the community, who are on the precipice of not having a functional hospital emergency department within 70 to 100 miles.”
County officials are awaiting feedback on the proposals from the Palo Verde Healthcare District. The proposed $1 million loan is intended “until such time as the District agrees to the proposal related to the County-led independent strike force,” according to the statement.
“If they agree in principle, we will be discussing the many details necessary to achieve this outcome,” county spokeswoman Brooke Frederico said in an email to HeySoCal.com.
“In the meantime, we want to assure the residents of Blythe that regardless of the hospital’s status, call 9-1-1 during emergencies to reach a dispatcher,” Federico said. “Pre-hospital care is still available and will remain operational.”
The hospital’s financial woes came to a head in September, when the PV Healthcare District filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. The California Local Agency Formation Commission currently is considering a request for the district’s dissolution in connection with the bankruptcy filing.
“Last week these challenges became more dire when (the California Department of Health Care Services) did not allow for the District’s Voluntary Rate Range Intergovernmental Transfer, which resulted in a potential loss of $9.9 million in revenue for the Hospital,” Perez and Van Wagenen wrote.
On Friday, the Blythe City Council approved a $330,000 loan to cover the hospital’s operating expenses for one week. The loan is contingent upon the district contracting with the county or a county-approved management team to take over hospital’s day-to-day management and operation.
“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 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. I look forward to hearing the response from the Palo Verde Healthcare District.”
State officials and the PV Healthcare District did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
More information on the district’s financial situation is on the hospital’s website.