El Centro (Calif.) City Council approved the transfer of El Centro Regional Medical Center to the Imperial Valley Healthcare District, the Calexico Chronicle reported July 29.
Five things to know:
1. The asset transfer agreement approved by city council outlines the terms under which the medical center’s assets will be transferred to the healthcare district, according to the report. That includes the 161-bed, seismically compliant hospital and related facilities. The full transfer of assets is expected to take at least six months, due to regulatory requirements.
2. The agreement comes after months of negotiations between the city, the health district and the medical center’s leadership. The parties first adopted a term sheet on March 11.
3. The Imperial Valley Healthcare District was established in 2023 “in recognition of the growing need to improve healthcare access and outcomes” in the region, according to its website.
4. “The Imperial Valley Healthcare District was established within a framework designed to unify local healthcare services,” the city said in a letter to residents. “While the city of El Centro was not required to transfer ownership of ECRMC to this new district, we made the proactive decision to pursue this path because we understand that a healthier, stronger regional healthcare system begins with a single, unified district.”
5. The city said that there will not be mass layoffs as part of the merger, and the “district’s financial position is expected to strengthen after the transfer is finalized, providing greater long-term security for both employees and the community.”
