Board looking for hospital partner

The Tehachapi Critical Care Replacement Hospital, under construction and looking grand but facing rough financial seas ahead, is looking for a strong partner that will provide fiscal, clinical, cultural and governance support.

The Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District Board of Directors took the step of approving a lengthy Request for Proposal (RFP) Affiliation/Partnership at its Dec. 17, 2014 meeting at the Golden Hills Community Services District.

The 5-0 vote was a major move in a new direction for the healthcare district, which operates the existing hospital that is scheduled to be shut down by the state for seismic inadequacy (It was built in 1956), as well as clinics in Mojave, California City and Tehachapi.

The affiliation would connect the new hospital with a robust healthcare entity outside Tehachapi.

In his Information memorandum, district CEO Eugene Suksi wrote: “TVHD operates the only acute care facility within a 45-mile radius and has a long history of providing care to the Greater Tehachapi area. The district has experienced recent operating challenges due largely to its exposure to governmental payers, the operational and debt burden associated with a major facilities replacement project, and the costly implementation of various strategies to recruit health care providers and expand service offerings. The district’s board and management believe that a strategic partner could provide the operating expertise, economies of scale and capital necessary to enable the district to complete the replacement hospital project, expand services offered to the communities it serves and continue its mission to provide high quality, affordable care to the residents and visitors of the Tehachapi Valley.”

The identified construction fudning totals $67,394,000. As of Sept. 1, 2014, $37,329,000 in project funds remain.ed Total project costs are estimated to be $90,400,000, which means $60,335,000 is needed to finish building the new Tehachapi Hospital.