AV Healthcare District partners with Kindred Healthcare for specialty services
LANCASTER — Antelope Valley Healthcare District’s governing Board approved a partnership with Kindred Healthcare to meet the Antelope Valley’s significant need for specialty services.
The joint venture will provide inpatient behavioral health services, inpatient rehabilitation services, and outpatient behavioral health services to the Antelope Valley
The agreement includes the development of a state-of-the art joint venture specialty hospital on the Antelope Valley Hospital campus.
The facility is expected to have 96 behavioral health beds, 25 inpatient rehab beds, and various outpatient behavioral health services, according to a presentation.
Kindred will have a 51% ownership. AV Healthcare District will have 49% ownership stake with an estimated $3.55 million investment for the purchase of equipment and start up expenses.
The facility will be governed by a Board composed of an equal number of Antelope Valley and Kindred representatives. The facility will be managed by Kindred with oversight from the Board.
According to a Kindred analysis, Antelope Valley Hospital transfers approximately 86.9% of potentially appropriate inpatient behavioral health patients home or to self care.
“This indicated that Antelope Valley does not have the necessary services to admit patients exhibiting behavioral conditions —especially those coming from their own emergency department,” the analysis said.
AV Hospital also serves a high volume of stroke and other neurological patients who require intensive inpatient therapy, the analysis found.
“Antelope Valley does not currently have an inpatient therapy service line. As such, many patients requiring this treatment are forced to travel or receive this care in a suboptimal care setting,” the analysis found.