About three dozen people braved the rain last night to attend the first of three special meetings held by the Hi-Desert Medical Center about the hospital’s plans to affiliate with Tenet Healthcare. Managing editor Tami Roleff says after hearing a short presentation by the hospital’s CEO Bob Tyk, nearly a dozen people—including doctors, current and former hospital employees, former directors, and political representatives—urged residents to vote yes to approve the affiliation…
Bob Baker, director of facilities for HDMC, warned residents what would happen if the hospital doesn’t affiliate. “Let’s face it, in today’s market, we cannot continue the way we are going right now; we’ll be closed in a few years if we don’t do something. I encourage you to vote yes on affiliation.” Mickey Luckman agreed. “Changes in the whole economic thing made it almost impossible for stand-alone hospitals like us to survive. The alternative, I fear, is the hospital will go away and anytime we need medical care we’ll have to go down the hill.” Dawn Rowe, field rep for Congressman Paul Cook, and Mike Lipsitz, field rep for County Supervisor James Ramos, said they and their politicians supported the affiliation. Board director Marge Doyle urged residents to come to the meetings. “We want to hear from the community, and we also want the community to understand what’s going on because we can’t lose our hospital.” Board director Martie Avels warned residents of the consequences if the affiliation vote is not approved: “This affiliation will not cost our residents, but if we don’t affiliate, it will cost us our hospital.”
The hospital’s Board of Directors will hold two more special meetings where residents can discuss the affiliation. Tonight’s meeting is in Twentynine Palms at Little Church of the Desert, 6079 Adobe Road, and on Wednesday night in Joshua Tree at the community center on Sunburst Avenue. Both meetings start at 6:30 p.m.
