Just a couple months after Madera Community Hospital declared bankruptcy and closed its doors, a major hospital system in California’s south Valley could be next, The Sun reports.
Kaweah Health’s financial situation is continuing to worsen with no end in sight, leading CEO Gary Herbst to seek help from Tulare County for the Visalia hospital.
Herbst addressed the Tulare County Board of Supervisors at their meeting last Tuesday, with a major focus on how the hospital loses money on Medi-Cal and Medicare patients.
Locally, Herbst is open to various forms of help – a sales tax measure, a parcel tax and American Rescue Plan Act funding to name a few of the ideas floated.
Statewide, Herbst sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom requesting an extension to the 2030 deadline for seismic compliance, which is estimated to cost the hospital $730 million.
Before the pandemic, Kaweah Health was in a healthy financial position with over 140 days cash on hand. By the end of this January, Kaweah Health had only 73 days cash on hand, a number that will continue to trend down in lieu of any changes. Read more.
