Santa Paula Hospital Asks for HUD Funds

In its latest thrust for funds, financially troubled Santa Paula Hospital is asking the cities of Santa Paula and Fillmore to pass along $144,000 in federal development money.

Representatives of the hospital went before the Fillmore City Council this week to ask for the city’s entire $109,000 allocation of federal Housing and Urban Development block grant money for public improvements. On Monday, they plan to ask the Santa Paula City Council for an additional $35,000 in HUD grants.

If approved, the money would be used for a new roof and floor for the emergency room, surgery equipment, and city- and state-mandated improvement projects, including a propane fuel system and a grease trap.

“Right now, we’re pursuing every possible means to save and raise money,” Santa Paula Hospital Administrator Ruland Barlow said. “We are focusing on bringing funds in so that we will be in a break-even position.”

The hospital, which is seeking such funds for the first time this year, qualifies for the money because more than half of the population it serves is middle- to low-income, said Thomas Ristau, Fillmore’s grants coordinator.

With a staff of about 300, the 60-bed hospital is one of Santa Paula’s largest employers.

Santa Paula and Fillmore are the poorest cities in Ventura County, according to 1990 census figures.

The hospital improvement proposal is just one of dozens of projects vying for the grants. Other applicants are a children’s medical program, a street repair project, a homeless shelter and a senior citizens nutrition program.

But both the Fillmore and Santa Paula city councils are making the 30-year-old hospital, built by ranchers and other residents, a top priority.

“There’s a whole lot of people that asked for money,” Fillmore Councilman Roger Campbell said. “But the hospital really needs it the most right now, and I would like to see us give it all to them.”

Fillmore depends heavily on the hospital, Mayor Mike McMahan said. “An overwhelming majority of the community uses the hospital. We are going to do whatever we can to keep them going.”

For the next few weeks, both councils will discuss the proposals, and the public will be able to comment.

Officials say they are eager to act.

“The sooner we can help them, the better,” Santa Paula Mayor Margaret Ely said. “If (the hospital) gets the money now, the benefit in the long run will be a lot larger than if we wait until it is really in trouble.”

The hospital recently revealed its weak financial condition and kicked off a $500,000 fund-raising drive.

In other cost-cutting measures, the hospital has frozen hiring and raises, and consolidated staff positions.

The facility is also considering linking some operations with other hospitals in the area. Officials say they are discussing pooling physician and equipment resources with other hospitals, but are not negotiating a merger.

“Ultimately, it is highly probable that we will form some kind of alignment” with another hospital, Barlow said. “But right now, we’ve got to put focus on functioning as an independent hospital.”