News from: Supervisor V. Manuel Perez

A loan of $1 million from Riverside County was approved today to provide stabilization of the Palo Verde Hospital and keep the hospital’s emergency department operational and preserve emergency medical care in the Blythe community.

The action by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors is a breakthrough for the hospital. It comes after months of diligent work by county teams working with the Palo Verde Healthcare District, the City of Blythe, and other agencies to support the community and meet the safety net needs of residents, who live 70 to 100 miles away from the nearest hospitals.

“Thank you to our Executive Office, RUHS, and everyone involved, to get us this far,” said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “I want to thank the City of Blythe, they also put in $330,000 which was very helpful and, with our $1 million, it gives us the time to try to figure this out. Specifically, I want to say thank you to the City Councilmembers, Joseph Halby and Johnny Rodriguez for playing a big role, Desert Healthcare District, Tenet, DHCS, State Senator Padilla’s office and Congressman Ruiz. Last but not least, county staff as well as my office staff, played a role in this effort. Thank you to all who engaged.”

During the meeting, Supervisor Perez and fellow Supervisors along with county staff were recognized for doing everything they could to save the hospital. While much work lies ahead, the $1 million loan has been approved, which will provide urgent financial relief to maintain daily emergency department operations.