SALINAS– The completion for the purchase of Watsonville Community Medical Facility by the Pajaro Valley Health care Area was introduced by the office of state Sen. John Laird on Wednesday.
Monterey Region Supervisor Luis Alejo stated that it was important for Monterey Area to assist money the acquisition of Watsonville Community Healthcare Facility since “without the health center, Pajaro Valley citizens would certainly have been forced to go to Salinas or Santa Cruz for clinical emergencies, placing lives at risk when every min is critical.”
The Pajaro River is the border between Santa Cruz and Monterey areas. Monterey County started $3 million toward the $67 million it considered the area to get the health care center.
” There are 2 major reasons why it was very important for Monterey Area to help with the purchase of Watsonville hospital,” claimed Laird, D-Santa Cruz.
Initially, the health center area really consists of the far northern part of Monterey Region and also will supply primary care to those residents. It consists of areas such as Pajaro, Las Lomas and also Royal Oaks. Second, if the Watsonville healthcare facility went under, the locals of Pajaro Valley would certainly go into either Salinas or Santa Cruz for care, which he stated would certainly be an amazing problem on various other healthcare facilities in Monterey and also Santa Cruz counties.
” The purchase of the healthcare facility is one of the most considerable achievement for the health and safety of all Pajaro Valley locals in both counties,” claimed Alejo, the previous mayor of Watsonville. “The healthcare facility was as soon as a nonprofit medical facility and also currently, it’s back in the hands of the general public, exclusively for the advantage of the general public.”
Watsonville Neighborhood Healthcare facility applied for Phase 11 personal bankruptcy in late 2021 and was to be auctioned in late February of this year. But urgency regulations in the form of Senate Expense 418 was advanced by Laird and coauthored by state Assemblymen Robert Rivas and Mark Stone, and also Sen. Anna Caballero. The expense was passed with one voice by the state Setting up as well as Us senate in very early February and also Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into legislation establishing the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District.
The not-for-profit healthcare district was produced to support for community-led health care services and also the purchase of Watsonville Community Health center to shift it to neighborhood ownership and administration. Its board of supervisors consists of management from Santa Cruz County, the city of Watsonville, Neighborhood Wellness Trust Fund of Pajaro Valley and also Salud Para La Gente.
” It’s outstanding, I’m truly delighted,” stated Laird.
After 8 months of intense work, Laird stated it is incredibly rewarding. There were times in the process when he was uncertain completion result would take place.
However with the support of the neighborhood and also essential factors such as Santa Cruz and Monterey areas, the Central California Alliance for Health, the Community Wellness Trust Fund of the Pajaro Valley, the city of Watsonville, Kaiser Foundation Health Insurance and Dominican Hospital/Common Spirit, the purchase was made possible.
Laird stated in a news release that he applauds the community for rallying together to make it occur, recognizing that “creating and also funding a whole health care area in less than a year is a complicated and difficult task.”
The Pajaro Valley Heathcare District Task led the fundraising initiative.
The development of the Pajaro Valley Healthcare Area was led by Laird and also Rivas, with both safeguarding a $25 million appropriation from the state towards the effort to acquire the healthcare facility.
“There’s still a lot of effort in advance to keep the hospital operating, yet we hope this will wind up being a true health care success tale for both of our areas,” claimed Alejo.
My name is Christopher B. Grant. I am currently a journalist at the Watsonville News Daily. I have been interested in journalism since I was a young boy and it is my dream to one day work for a major news organization. I am passionate about telling stories that matter and making a difference in my community.
My name is Christopher B. Grant. I am currently a journalist at the Watsonville News Daily. I have been interested in journalism since I was a young boy and it is my dream to one day work for a major news organization. I am passionate about telling stories that matter and making a difference in my community.
