County round table discusses possibility of countywide healthcare district
IMPERIAL – Members from all aspects of the healthcare industry unanimously agreed that the future of the Imperial County’s health care lies within creating a single countywide healthcare district, though how it is to be achieved is still the subject of much debate.
After weeks of multiple financial crisis and rumors have haunted El Centro Regional Medical Center (ECRMC), Imperial County held a round table discussion with healthcare industry leaders on Saturday, January 28 at Imperial Valley College to search for a resolution.
This discussion featured members of the ECRMC Board of Directors, Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Board of Directors, Heffernan Memorial Healthcare District Board of Directors, public health officials, emergency service officials, medical professionals, as well as the event being led by Imperial County District 2 and 4 Supervisors, Luis Plancarte and Ryan Kelley, respectively.
“This is intended to be able to have these representatives of different aspects of our healthcare, have a conversation about what the pressures are today, and how we can resolve that for the future,” Kelley said as he opened the meeting.
ECRMC Board President and El Centro City Councilmember Tomás Oliva began the discussion by suggesting the creation of a brand new healthcare district that encompassed the entire county, with the support of State legislative action and a 1% tax on the entirety of the county.
PMHD Board President Catalina Alcantara-Santillan agreed with Oliva but added that PMHD Board of Directors had already voted to expand their healthcare district countywide and suggested that the district form under their umbrella.
Oliva protested this, as well as being resistant to the idea of having a meeting with Imperial County Local Agency Formation Commission, who would provide the governmental oversite to either expand PMHD or, in the creation of the new district, to determine what it would be.
This resistance was quickly shut down by Kelley however, who too reminded Oliva that everyone’s ego should have been checked at the door before entering the forum.
“How about this: I am going to schedule a meeting with LAFCO [the Imperial County
Local Agency Formation Commission], and representatives from your agencies will be invited to join me,” Kelley said.
ECRMC’s debt, which Oliva said is approximately $125 million – which he attributes mostly to improvements to meet building seismic standards – was also discussed, but no clear path forward was drawn regarding the debt.
Without a clear reresolution presented by March, ECRMC will be forced to revert back to canceling ECRMC’s base hospital status, causing Imperial County to lose access to paramedic services, leaving only emergency medical technicians to respond to medical emergencies.
Both Oliva and Plancarte revealed conversations with state and federal legislators in search of resolutions but did not report any clear responses.
Dr. Tien Tan Vo suggested that funds from independent private financers could be used to support the hospital, though a deeper conversation of how that would work was not held.
PMHD expressed concerns on taking on the debt, as they will soon be forced to make similar modifications to their hospital, and Heffernan Memorial Healthcare District requires LAFCO approval to contribute any amount of funding to help.
“We need to get started because next week is February, and March is just around the corner,” Alcantara-Santillan said.