VENTURA, Calif. – On Friday, October 18, the County of Ventura and the Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC) hosted the inaugural State of the Hospitals event geared towards industry and community leaders, to present the current challenges hospitals and health care delivery systems are facing and highlight the innovation and achievements of our local hospitals. The free, informative event featured the participation of executive leadership across the six acute care hospitals in Ventura County: Adventist Health, Community Memorial Hospital, Dignity Health – St. John’s Hospital, Los Robles Health System, Ventura County Medical Center, and Vista Del Mar.
“Our hospitals are facing what seem like significant headwinds as the health care landscape is ever changing,” stated Dr. Theresa Cho, Director of the Ventura County Health Care Agency. “However, our hospitals across the county share a commitment to providing the highest-quality, life-saving care for our patients and their families. This inaugural event provided the unique opportunity to capitalize on the collective innovation from across our systems and together build a collaborative solution to delivering even better care in our communities.”
Held at the Ventura County Office of Education, the event offered attendees the opportunity to gain insights on the hospital and health care industry’s vital economic and community impact, promoted the crucial service lines that are offered through these organizations and showcased their collaboration.
“This event provided an essential platform to accurately convey the critical role hospitals play, not only as pillars of health and well-being, but also as key drivers of economic sustainability in our communities,” said George Greene, President and CEO of HASC. “Through this gathering, we were able to highlight the vast contributions of Ventura County hospitals in delivering care, fostering innovation, and supporting the local economy. Events like this help ensure our communities understand the value of our hospitals and the collaborative efforts needed to sustain their vital services.”
University of California, Santa Barbara economist Peter Rupert, PhD, shared an overview of the economic analysis of the current and future status of the hospitals. Kathryn Austin Scott, Senior Vice President, State Relations and Advocacy for the California Hospital Association, spoke to the policies at the state level that are impacting, and will continue to impact, healthcare delivery.
HASC anticipates bringing this regional event to other Southern California counties to further the discussion and drive collaborative efforts to promote access to quality hospital care.
