Ventura County Grand Jury • 1996-1997

The Ventrura County Medical Center

Published: October 24, 1996 12 pages
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Findings 9 findings

F1
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors is legally mandated to provide health care services to those unable to pay.
F2
The system of care provided by VCMC meets the health care obligation with a well managed, efficient, and compassionate system.
F3
The VCMC is the core element that effectively maximizes the efficiency of the other units of the Ventura Health Care Agency. -
F4
The County would stand to lose $14.0 million a year in Federal and State funding which would have to be replaced from the County General Fund if the VCMC closes and the County contracts with private hospitals to meet its health care obligation.
F5
The deplorable state of some VCMC facilities reflects years of poor maintenance planning and an inadequate buiiding replacement program.
F6
The continued operation of the hospital is threatened by structural problems in the Dietary Unit and utility tunnels, and overcrowding in the laboratory. In addition, replacement of the management unit (Bard Building) is mandatory.
F7
A construction program has been identified that corrects the facilities’ prob lems, provides needed parking, and combines the clinics around and on the VCMC campus into a single unit. This program could save the County substantial rental costs,w ould qualify for state debt service funding, and would increase efficiency.
F8
In addressing the issues raised by the campaign to prevent capital hnprove- e merits to VCMC the Board of Supervisors is prohibited by law from spending public funds in rebuttal.
F9
The Board of Supervisors, the Ventura Health Care Agency, and the Auditor’s department did not provide enough information to the electorate which would have laid the groundwork for acceptance of the planned capital improvements to the VCMC. 112

Recommendations 5