The Palo Verde Hospital emergency department has access to 26 emergency medicine residency trained physicians Saturday thanks to a new partnership.
The hospital, located in Blythe, expanded their emergency department physician coverage through a partnership with Vituity, a physician group serving the Riverside University Health System.
Vituity began providing emergency medicine services at the hospital on May 1 and supports 24/7 emergency department operations in collaboration with hospital staff.
Palo Verde Hospital is a rural, critical-access hospital delivering care to residents of the Palo Verde Valley and stabilizing and expediting transfers when a higher level of care is needed.
“We recognize that hospitals are critical to the vibrancy and success of any community. When people have emergencies, they need to see a doctor and time matters,” said Dr. Michael Mesisca, interim medical director at Palo Verde Hospital and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at RUHS Medical Center and Clinics. “We had physicians commit to coming to Palo Verde Hospital. They all share a belief in the standard we set of compassionate care and listening to nursing staff.”
In the weeks since the transition, hospital staff have observed measurable improvements in wait times and overall patient experience in the emergency department, hospital officials announced.
“Access to emergency medical care is not optional for rural communities like the Palo Verde Valley,” said Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. “This partnership strengthens the hospital’s ability to provide timely, high-quality emergency services close to home and reflects the commitment of everyone working to stabilize and support Palo Verde Hospital for the long term.”
Palo Verde Hospital is operating under a 180-day Management Services Agreement between the Palo Verde Healthcare District and the County of Riverside, approved by the District Board of Directors that establishes temporary operational support from the Riverside University Health System Medical Center and Clinics for the hospital’s emergency department, the clinic and all supporting departments.
The agreement with Vituity is effective through June 30, 2027.
Palo Verde Hospital remains open after being awarded an emergency grant last year of $3 million by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. The grant was awarded through Assembly Bill 108, which established an emergency grant program administered by the California Department of HCAI to support rural, financially distressed hospitals at immediate risk of closure.
Through the grant, the hospital has the opportunity to continue strengthening services as they work toward long-term sustainability.
“The hospital is grateful for the bipartisan efforts of state elected officials who recognize that, as a distressed hospital, legislative support is essential to rural hospital survival,” hospital officials announced.
Without Palo Verde Hospital, residents of Palo Verde Valley would be forced to travel over 100 miles to the nearest California hospital.
“This emergency grant funding is a critical step toward preserving access to health care for the residents of the Palo Verde Valley and surrounding communities,” said Carmela Garnica, president of the Palo Verde Healthcare District Board of Directors. “These resources will help strengthen our hospital’s ability to deliver high-quality care and continue meeting the healthcare needs of the patients and families we serve.”
Palo Verde Hospital officials thanked the California Department of HCAI, regional partners, the city of Blythe, the county of Riverside and the Riverside University Health System Medical Center and Clinics, which have provided support to the hospital to maintain its doors open.
“I commend our county team for their efforts to work on this grant, bringing another piece of the funding to maintain essential health care services in the Blythe community,” Perez said.