After months of negotiations and input, the Hi-Desert Memorial Health Care District Board of Directors will put their signatures on lease and purchase agreements, officially agreeing to lease Hi-Desert Medical Center to Tenet HealthCare of Dallas, Texas. Tenet is one of the country’s leading and most comprehensive healthcare services companies, with 80 hospitals and more than 200 outpatient centers. In this region, Tenet operates Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. The hospital board has called a special meeting for 6:00 tonight at the Helen Gray Center on the hospital campus in Joshua Tree. The only two action items a on the agenda is first the approval of the Tenet Lease and then an item calling for a mail-in election to put the lease action to a vote of those who live in the Hospital’s tax district. That voter approval is needed to make the affiliation final. Proponents say the affiliation with Tenet will keep the Hi-Desert Medical Center open and operating in the Morongo Basin.
