The City of El Centro and University of California San Diego Health have announced a plan for UCSD Health to assume full day-to-day operational, clinical and financial management of El Centro Regional Medical Center.

The proposed 12 to 18 month plan will also see Preston Hollow Community Capital, the majority bondholder for ECRMC, provide financial and other resources to the El Centro hospital for daily operations, capital projects, and infrastructure investments in the Imperial Valley.

According to the UCSD Health press release, conversations are already underway among regional municipal and health leaders to conceptualize how local cooperation could best serve the community through a single health system with coordinated medical and surgical services, lower administrative costs, and possibly shared electronic records. 

According to UCSD Health CEO Patty Maysent, " Our focus is ensuring there are significant resources in place to achieve a positive patient experience. In the short-term, UC San Diego Health will deploy additional onsite leadership and other support services to lead daily hospital functions from finance to Human Resources to clinical operations. In addition we will  continue to advance conversations with nearby healthcare providers, as well as local and state representatives to develop an achievable vision and vehicle to preserve high quality healthcare services for Imperial Valley".