Meeting begins process of planning new hospital
To serve California City, Mojave, and Tehachapi
DESERT NEWS STAFF REPORT, Mojave Desert News
TEHACHAPI - The first of several months of meetings to develop plans to build a new hospital to serve Tehachapi, California City, and Mojave was held at the Tehachapi Valley Hospital here last week.
Representatives from the three communities involved were briefed on the need for a new hospital and on the process of achieving that goal.
Ray Hino, administrator and chief executive officer of the Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District, said the current hospital provides around-the-clock emergency care with an emergency care physician and one or more registered nurses on duty.
"We handle everything from cuts and bruises to major trauma," Hino said, adding that the hospital stabilizes more serious patients before they are transferred to trauma centers.
The emergency room sees an average of 25 patients per day, with up to twice that many on some days.
19 of the hospital's 24 beds are licensed for acute care and long-term patients.
Hospitals these days provide more out-patient services than in-patient care, Hino said.
The district also operates rural health clinics in Mojave and Tehachapi.
Planning for future
The first decision members of the community assessment advisory committee must make is to decide if a new hospital is really needed to serve the population growth expected over the next two decades, Hino explained.
If so, they will make recommendations on how best to design a facility to serve that growth.
Tehachapi was chosen from 13 rural communities interested in developing new hospitals to serve non-urban communities, Hino said.
"You're the guys who will try this" new approach to rural hospital planning said Catherine Quinn, executive director of the California Health Collaborative. "If it works, the other 12 communities can do it."
That places an extra level of responsibility on members of the committee, Hino reminded those attending.
Over the next six to 12 months, committee members will analyze demographic and other data about the area the hospital will serve, discuss their plans with residents of the three communities, and gather information from targeted focus groups.
The plan they develop will be presented to the elected members of the healthcare district board for action.
Gislea Schulz, a member of the East Kern Healthcare District Board, represents California City, Bill Deaver, president of the Mojave Community Medical Center, Inc., represents Mojave, and Dwight Deakin represents Edwards Air Force Base.
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