Patterson residents have been without a local hospital emergency department for decades, leaving paramedics to transport patients to emergency rooms in neighboring communities.
Now, a bill awaiting action from Gov. Gavin Newsom could create a temporary emergency care option in Patterson while the city works toward building a new hospital. However, that project is still more than a decade away from being complete.
Assemblymember Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, authored AB 2282, which would allow a publicly owned hospital, in partnership with the Del Puerto Health Care District, to operate a rural emergency stabilization care unit in Patterson.
Under the legislation, a public hospital would work with the Del Puerto Health Care District to operate one rural emergency stabilization care unit, or RESCU. The facility would provide emergency stabilization and could transfer patients who need inpatient or specialty care to a hospital.
The waiver allowing the facility to operate would be limited. Under the bill, it would end when a hospital is built within five miles of the emergency stabilization unit or after 10 years from the initial issuance of the waiver.
Dr. Jose Rodriguez, medical director for the Del Puerto Health Care District, said some residents delay emergency care because of transportation, financial or other barriers.
"A lot of families will delay emergent health care because of transportation issues, social issues, financial issues," Rodriguez said. "They ultimately end up with very serious medical conditions that can be taken care of locally."
The California Legislature passed the bill in August. It is now on the governor's desk.
Long ambulance trips can tie up local crews
For Patterson District Ambulance Director Paul Willette, the need is immediate.
"In this business, people sometimes don't survive. So that's a reality," Willette said.
Willette drives roughly 50 minutes from Lodi to Patterson for his shifts and said the city's growing population has put additional pressure on local emergency services.
The nearest hospital emergency departments are more than 18 miles away, meaning ambulances can spend significant amounts of time transporting patients out of the community.
"You have a community of 26,000 plus and growing and the emergency resources, emergency rooms are either in Turlock or Modesto, which means the transport time is 30 to 45 minutes," Willette said.
Patterson has not had a hospital or emergency department since 1998, and it currently relies on Patterson District Ambulance and the Patterson Fire Department for EMT services.
Willette said those resources can become strained when ambulances are tied up on lengthy transports.
"If somebody is that critically ill and we're working to save their life, then we absolutely would like to have a resource much closer right here in Patterson and give that person the absolute best chance of survival," he said.
The Del Puerto Health Care District says residents in Patterson and surrounding communities can face transportation and access barriers when seeking emergency care outside the area. The district has been planning a larger health care campus that includes a future hospital.
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