SANTA PAULA : City OKs $500,000 Medical Building
The Santa Paula City Council approved plans Monday for a $500,000 building that will house two physicians who do not accept Medi-Cal.
Billed in 1986 by developers as the perfect adjunct to nearby low-income senior apartments, the proposed office building on Santa Barbara Street will be home to two general practitioners. However, the doctors have stopped taking Medi-Cal patients since the project was first introduced because they say the state medical program has a poor reimbursement rate.
Their change in policy was criticized by City Council members, who sought to deny a zone change that was necessary to build the offices.
But City Atty. Phillip H. Romney advised the council against holding up the project on those grounds, saying medical practice is governed by state law, and it is not the city’s job to regulate doctors. In addition, he said, if the city singles out one profession, it may leave itself open to a lawsuit.
As a compromise, Dr. Richard J. Tushla said he and Dr. David W. Stegman would see all residents of the Santa Paulan apartments, regardless of their insurance, in emergencies.
The building will also have space for a dentist, and for two optometrists who both said they accept Medi-Cal.
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