Desert Regional Medical Center is in a perilous position: As the only Level 1 trauma center in the Coachella Valley, the hospital building must meet California’s seismic standards by 2030. The cost of this is estimated at $222 million.
Tenet Healthcare has stepped up to address the problem and has agreed to pay for these extensive seismic upgrades at no cost to the general public through a proposed lease between Tenet and the hospital’s owner, the Desert Healthcare District, a public agency run by an elected board.
After nearly a year-long negotiation process, the Desert Healthcare District Board of Directors voted in August to put a lease purchase agreement on the November ballot, giving local voters the final say on whether it’s approved or rejected.
A “yes” vote on Measure AA approves the lease purchase agreement, while a “no” vote rejects it.
The Desert Sun Editorial Board endorses a “yes” vote on Measure AA. Here’s why.
First, there is widespread agreement that many of the terms of the new lease agreement are in the best interest of the community. For example, Tenet will operate and maintain Desert Regional as an acute care hospital with a comprehensive range of health care-related services for the benefit of the community. Payments that Tenet will make to the Desert Healthcare District over the course of the lease will amount to nearly $650 million, which the district’s board intends to use for community grants and financial assistance.
Second, there is acknowledgement that time is of the essence and consensus that the seismic retrofit is something that must be done. Tenet has agreed to accept financial responsibility for those extensive retrofits.
Now it’s up to the voters to make the decision.
Voters can find a fact sheet and frequently asked questions about the ballot item at www.dhcd.org.
Editor’s note: Desert Sun Editorial Board member Laura James recused herself from this endorsement.