The past three years have been transformative for Watsonville Community Hospital, which was facing bankruptcy in late 2021 before a local group banded together to save it. Now under local ownership—and more importantly, back under local control—the hospital has seen a sea change in its finances. After a $30 million loss in 2022, its deficit… Continue reading Watsonville Hospital holds first community update
Tag: watsonville community hospital
Healing together: How health care districts can transform care
Taking care of our health is one of the most important things in life. But for many in Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley, getting the care and support they need has not always been easy. That’s why the Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD) was created—to ensure everyone in our community has access to quality… Continue reading Healing together: How health care districts can transform care
Healing Together: The Progress and Promise of Watsonville Community Hospital
Trust is not built on words alone—it is forged through action, teamwork, and empathy. This holds true in times of prosperity, but is even more critical during hardship and crisis. Few experiences unite people like the shared journey from loss to pain, to recovery, and finally, to stability. This is the journey Watsonville Community Hospital… Continue reading Healing Together: The Progress and Promise of Watsonville Community Hospital
Watsonville Community Hospital once again under local ownership
Watsonville Community Hospital and the Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD) announced Friday that the building–and the property that surrounds it–once again belongs to the community. The $40 million purchase of the 27-acre site from Alabama-based Medical Properties Trust was possible thanks to Measure N—the bond approved by voters in March. “We are incredibly grateful… Continue reading Watsonville Community Hospital once again under local ownership
“A Watershed moment:” PVHCD to purchase Watsonville Community Hospital building, property
Pajaro Valley Healthcare District—the public agency tasked with running Watsonville Community Hospital—announced Wednesday that they plan to purchase the building and surrounding property, a major milestone in a years-long endeavor to return the facility to public ownership. The unanimous decision came during a closed-session discussion, and as such little additional information was available Thursday. The… Continue reading “A Watershed moment:” PVHCD to purchase Watsonville Community Hospital building, property
With Measure N official, hospital officials looking to future
After months of work promoting Measure N—efforts that included going door to door in the vast Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD)—officials can now begin to envision how they will use the $116 million to improve Watsonville Community Hospital. But it could be several months before any work begins at Watsonville Community Hospital. The measure… Continue reading With Measure N official, hospital officials looking to future
Pajaro Valley Health Care Board Chair John Friel Dies
Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board (PVHCD) Chair and former Watsonville Community Hospital CEO John Friel, who took the lead of the fledgling agency at its outset in 2022, died March 21 after battling an undisclosed illness. Friel resigned from his position on March 19, and the board appointed Tony Nuñez as chair. Knowing he… Continue reading Pajaro Valley Health Care Board Chair John Friel Dies
Measure N is Vital for Pajaro Valley’s Economic Prosperity
Watsonville Community Hospital is vital to the economic success of the Pajaro Valley. Businesses, their employees and customers all benefit from local access to healthcare. From employees to medical providers, the hospital provides nearly 1,000 local jobs and medical care for over 100,000 people in the Hospital District through emergency, obstetrics, pediatrics, surgery and laboratory… Continue reading Measure N is Vital for Pajaro Valley’s Economic Prosperity
Watsonville Hospital’s former owners ‘grossly negligent,’ face lawsuit
The former owners of Watsonville Community Hospital are facing a lawsuit alleging that they took more than $3.9 million for their own use, and that their mismanagement led the hospital to bankruptcy and to the brink of financial ruin. Halsen Healthcare was removed from its leadership role by the hospital’s board of directors in January… Continue reading Watsonville Hospital’s former owners ‘grossly negligent,’ face lawsuit
Campaign begins for Watsonville Hospital’s Measure N
The governing body that oversees Watsonville Community Hospital has brought the institution back from bankruptcy and the brink of closure since it gained control of the institution last year, and restored local control after years of corporate mismanagement. But with a lasting $6.7 million debt from the previous owner—and a need to upgrade the hospital… Continue reading Campaign begins for Watsonville Hospital’s Measure N