Private Hospital Asks to Join Discussions

Community Memorial Hospital representatives said Tuesday that they want to be included in any discussions about Ventura County Medical Center possibly entering into a joint venture with a private hospital firm.

Community Memorial officials said they were surprised to learn that county representatives have met and talked with several hospital firms about forming some type of public-private partnership, as reported Tuesday in The Times.

Community Memorial attorney Jim Prosser said his client should be included in such discussions, because it is two blocks away from the county medical center in Ventura and would be directly affected. But county officials said they will continue to explore whatever options they choose, without the involvement of Community Memorial.

“We will decide who we talk to,” Supervisor Frank Schillo said. “There are more desirable hospitals to work with than Community Memorial. A lot of other [hospital systems] have more to offer.”

County officials in recent weeks have met and talked with representatives from several hospital firms, including Tenet Health Care Corp. and Columbia/HCA, the largest private hospital company in the country.

But Prosser said that for the county to enter into a partnership with a private hospital firm means it plans to aggressively compete for privately insured patients, which county officials have previously denied is their intent.

Community Memorial has been feuding with the county hospital for years, charging that it is scheming to lure its patients away. The nonprofit private hospital has spent more than $1 million in legal and political campaigns to halt county hospital building projects.

Recently, the Board of Supervisors dropped its plans for a $28.7-million county hospital improvement project because of the threat of a voter referendum led by Community Memorial.