New hospital is needed

By now, you have probably heard that we need to build a new hospital to meet earthquake safety standards, and that the Antelope Valley Healthcare District Board of Directors has placed a measure on the March 3rd ballot that will ask voters to fund a portion of a new hospital through a $350 million bond.

But a new hospital will do so much more than just ensure earthquake compliance. The fact is, Antelope Valley has outgrown the current hospital. The expansion of its Emergency Room in the 1980s was designed to serve 38,000 people annually. Today, the ER sees more than three times that — 130,000 people each year.

I was raised in the Antelope Valley until I left for medical school. After completing my residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center, I chose to return home to practice medicine and help ensure we are fostering the next generation of health care professionals in the region.

I can assure you there is a lot of competition to attract and retain talented young physicians, nurses and other health care workers. With physician and nurse shortages around the country, young professionals have a variety of jobs to choose from. We need a facility and a community that will attract the best and the brightest. A new facility will allow for state-of-the-art technology that will make young medical professionals want to move here — or keep them from moving away.

As Antelope Valley continues to grow, so too will our need for highly trained medical professionals. You can visit new.avhospital.org to learn more about Antelope Valley Hospital’s plans for a new facility, and how that can help cultivate a diverse healthcare workforce to meet the needs of our community, now and into the future.

Ferdinand Panoussi, DO Hospitalist medical director Horizon Multicare

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