The Riverside County (Calif.) board of supervisors voted Jan. 27 to implement a 180-day emergency department stabilization operations plan for Blythe, Calif.-based Palo Verde Hospital, which nearly closed in early January due to lack of funding.
The plan includes a $1 million loan from the county general fund and approval for a “strike force” led by Riverside University Health System to independently manage the hospital’s ED for the period, a spokesperson for the county said in a statement shared with Becker’s.
“I want to thank the city of Blythe. They also put in $330,000 which was very helpful and, with our $1 million, it gives us the time to try to figure this out,” Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said in a news release shared with Becker’s.
Riverside County will negotiate and execute agreements under the plan to implement emergency department operations, while explicitly confirming that the county will not assume liability for the Palo Verde Healthcare District or its existing debt obligations.
Becker’s has reached out to Palo Verde Hospital for comment and will update this story should more information become available.
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