Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) is pleased to announce that two hospitals in her district received more than $26 million in desperately needed funds as part of the Distressed Hospital Loan Program created this year by the legislature designed to provide loans for nonprofit and public hospitals on the brink of collapse.
Senator Grove was able to help secure $20.8 million for the Kaweah Delta Health Care District in Visalia and $5.5 million for Ridgecrest Regional Hospital in the city of Ridgecrest.
“The Madera Community Hospital closure sent a warning across California that hospitals are facing a critical financial crisis, especially in our rural communities,” said Senator Shannon Grove. “Keeping Kaweah Hospital and Ridgecrest Regional Hospital open and serving their communities has been my top priority this year. I am grateful for the support of Governor Newsom, Dr. Ghaly the Secretary of Health and Human Services Agency, and my colleagues in the legislature for recognizing the potentially disastrous consequences of these two hospitals closing their doors. I am especially thankful for Tulare County Supervisor Larry Micari for his early advocacy on behalf of Kaweah Hospital and the community. Securing this funding relief was also a community effort with local organizations advocating for the health and wellness of Central Valley residents. Hospitals are the one thing that everyone will need at some point in their lives and they are particularly vital for our rural communities.”
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
“While there are many people who contributed to our commitment to finding solutions for protecting our community's access to quality local healthcare, the first person to acknowledge is State Sen. Shannon Grove. We met with her and her staff a year ago, and she has been tireless in her assistance to us and her advocacy on our behalf at the state level.” – Jim Suver, CEO of Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
“Senator Grove has fought for and secured funding to protect rural regional medical facilities like Ridgecrest Regional Hospital (RRH). The impact that these facilities have on the health and wellness of thousands of Californians daily cannot be quantified in mere dollars. For many, rural medical facilities like RRH are a lifeline between illness and access to care. The impact of losing a facility like RRH would have had a devastating impact on both the citizens of this community but also on the critical mission of Naval Weapons Center China Lake. On behalf of the citizens and community of Ridgecrest, thank you for continuing to advocate for the rural communities of California” – Eric Bruen, Mayor of the City of Ridgecrest
Senator Grove has been advocating to save rural hospitals who face an uncertain future. Grove joint authored Senate Bill 774, the “Save Our Hospitals” measures that aimed at stopping the California Attorney General from closing more financially distressed rural hospitals. Senator Grove and her Senate Republican colleagues also wrote a letter to the governor urging him to sign Assembly Bill 112 that established the Distressed Hospital Loan Program, saying delaying implementing the program would put hospitals and their patients at risk.