CAMARILLO : District to Analyze Hospital Agreement

Members of the Camarillo Health Care District board will meet tonight to analyze a five-year services agreement released Tuesday by the boards of directors of Camarillo’s Pleasant Valley Hospital and St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.

The two hospitals are trying to merge despite community concerns that services will be cut. In an effort to get more information about the merger negotiations, the board last Wednesday gave Pleasant Valley Hospital a week to respond to an ultimatum to rejoin the district or face legal action.

The hospitals released the services agreement a day before the board was to consider legal action.

Under the agreement, Pleasant Valley Hospital will continue operating as a general acute care hospital. Other services such as laboratory, physical therapy, cardiopulmonary care and a pharmacy will continue at Pleasant Valley.

St. John’s and its parent company, Catholic Healthcare West, will be investing $4 million to renovate unused hospital space at Pleasant Valley for rehabilitation services. Catholic Healthcare West also announced it will assume Pleasant Valley’s $20-million debt.

“All we are saying is that we want to retain services in Camarillo,” said Rita Schumacher, a spokesperson for St. John’s.

Paul Rockenstein, president of the health care board, said the agreement “looks pretty good relative to the services they have now. . . . We have to look into it and see what they have offered,” Rockenstein said.

Gerald Karpman, a board member, said the agreement is vague and does not answer questions about issues such as the future of acute care at Pleasant Valley.

“Pediatrics is not on the list of acute care. You jump from babies being delivered to adult care,” said Karpman, a dermatologist.

Board candidate James Jeffers said the agreement doesn’t satisfy his concerns about the merger, and he promised to oppose it at tonight’s meeting.

“The bottom line is lack of control,” said Jeffers, a Camarillo attorney who urged citizens to form the group Save Our Hospital to try to block the merger. “St. John’s will take control of our hospital. For some reason, the Pleasant Valley Hospital wants to bury its mistakes and give up control.”