The Palo Verde Healthcare District’s board approved a 180-day emergency department stabilization plan Feb. 19 through a management services agreement with Riverside County (Calif.), according to a county news release shared with Becker’s.
Under the agreement, Riverside University Health System Medical Center and Clinics will assume temporary operational authority over the ED, hospital clinic and directly supporting departments at Blythe, Calif.-based Palo Verde Hospital, the release said. The district will remain the hospital’s licensed operator and fulfill all state and federal regulatory and emergency service responsibilities. Hospital employees will remain employed by the district.
The county’s board of supervisors voted Jan. 27 to implement the 180-day stabilization plan for the hospital, which nearly closed in early January because of a funding shortfall.
The plan includes a $1 million loan from the county general fund and approval for a county-led “strike team” to manage the ED and clinic during the stabilization period, according to the release. The team is set to deploy on site Feb. 23 to assess patient safety, staffing stability and department operations.
“This has always been about the people of Blythe,” 4th District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said in the release. “Access to care in this region is essential, which is why my colleagues on the board and I voted to support this hospital.”
Becker’s has reached out to Palo Verde Hospital for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
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