The Pajaro Valley Health Care District is asking voters to approve Measure N, a $116 million bond to replace Watsonville Community Hospital’s aging infrastructure and to purchase the hospital’s building and land it sits on. Community members told Lookout what they think about its potential impacts.
Watsonville Community Hospital
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Vote yes on N for a healthier, more equitable Pajaro Valley and support for Watsonville Community Hospital
Pajaro Valley community leaders explain the benefits of Measure N, which would increase property taxes modestly to raise $116 million for Watsonville Community Hospital.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital looks to stabilize finances with plans for $116M bond
Since the Pajaro Valley Health Care District took ownership of Watsonville Community Hospital in September 2022, it has significantly reduced losses. New CEO Stephen Gray says adding new services, upgrading equipment and $116 million from a potential bond will continue pushing the hospital onto a sustainable path.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Former Watsonville Community Hospital owners siphoned $4 million for personal use, bankruptcy trustee alleges
In a lawsuit filed this month, the trustee managing the bankruptcy of the former owners of Watsonville Community Hospital alleges that three of the hospital’s previous executives transferred nearly $4 million in consulting and management fees, travel and living expenses and other illegitimate payments from the hospital to themselves and close associates.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital, nurses union reach tentative agreement
Following months of tense negotiations for a new contract, Watsonville Community Hospital and its nurses reached a tentative deal that includes a 10% pay hike and more part-time positions. The Pajaro Valley Health Care District board will vote this week to ratify it.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Board approves putting Watsonville Community Hospital bond measure on ballot
Pajaro Valley Health Care District governing board members unanimously voted to place a $116 million bond measure on the March 5 ballot. A recent survey showed the district could likely receive enough votes to approve the measure.
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Watsonville / Pajaro
Pajaro Valley Health Care District board to vote Wednesday on placing $105M bond measure on March ballot
The Pajaro Valley Health Care District board will vote Wednesday on whether to ask voters to support a $105 million bond measure to help Watsonville Community Hospital buy the hospital buildings and the land they sit on and to help fund health care services. The district currently pays about $4 million a year to lease […]
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital nurses to picket Monday over ‘safe staffing, patient safety, retention’
Watsonville Community Hospital nurses are holding a picket Monday to protest “deep concerns about safe staffing, patient safety, retention, and recruitment” amid what they say have been “extremely contentious” negotiations for a new contract. “We sacrificed and struggled to care for our community during the pandemic and then worked to save this hospital from bankruptcy,” […]
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Against the odds, Watsonville Community Hospital survived bankruptcy. Will it survive the next few years?
While Watsonville Community Hospital recently celebrated a year since its rescue from bankruptcy, it continues to face enormous challenges. Hailed as a success story in how to save a distressed California hospital from closure, the hospital’s leaders point to the changes they are making to keep the doors open. But the hospital’s financial woes still loom large.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
New CEO Gray says he plans to make Watsonville Community Hospital ‘one of the best in the country’
Watsonville Community Hospital’s new CEO, Stephen Gray, says he aims to transform the facility into one of the nation’s top health care institutions. Gray, who takes over Nov. 1, said Thursday that he plans to address the hospital’s financial struggles and prioritize the happiness of staff and patients. He believes the hospital has the potential to make a significant impact on the health outcomes of the surrounding communities, which rank among the least-healthy populations in the country.