Local Healthcare Now!

Questions & Answers about
The City of Patterson Healthcare Expansion Act

Q. What is the City of Patterson Healthcare Expansion Act?
A. If approved by the City Council or local voters, this initiative would make minor zoning changes at the Keystone Pacific Business Park to allow the Del Puerto Healthcare District to relocate its Healthcare Center to a larger facility. This move will allow the Del Puerto Health Center to expand to meet the growing healthcare needs of Patterson, attract more top quality doctors and specialists and increase access to quality healthcare for the people of Patterson.

Q. Why does the Del Puerto Health Center need to move to an expanded facility?
A. The Del Puerto Health Center is currently located in a small facility on Ward Avenue in Patterson. The doctors and nurses at the Health Center see over 100 patients a day in a facility that is just over 5,000 square feet. This facility is far too small to continue to meet the growing demand for healthcare services as the population increases and the community continues to age. In addition, a larger and more modern facility will allow the Health Center to provide an expanded array of medical services and specialties to keep pace with 21st Century medicine.The new facility at the KeyStone Pacific Business Park will allow the Health Center to expand to 30,000 square feet to allow for the medical services and specialists that Patterson needs.

Q. What new medical services and specialties will be available at the new Del Puerto Health Center?
A. Once relocated to the new and expanded facility, the Del Puerto Health Center will provide primary care, pediatrics, internal medicine, cardiology, radiology, neurology, orthopedics, minor surgery and urgent care.

Q. Will a new Health Center Facility help attract more top-notch doctors, specialists and healthcare providers to Patterson?
A. Yes. The current undersized facility cannot accommodate new doctors and specialists. Plus, the cramped conditions are a deterrent to doctors and specialists wishing to practice in Patterson. A new facility will attract new full-time doctors and specialists as well as those from Modesto and elsewhere to come practice in Patterson a few days a week or month. In addition, a new thriving Health Center will attract other healthcare providers who specialize in diagnostics, imaging and other specialties to Patterson because they will want the opportunity to serve local patients in a modern healthcare setting.

Q. Why is it so important to have quality healthcare services here in Patterson?
A. Many senior citizens, people with disabilities and working families with young children cannot travel to see a doctor. Currently, these Patterson residents must travel to Modesto or further for their medical care. The new expanded Health Center that will result from this initiative will provide convenient access to both basic healthcare and specialty medical services right here in Patterson. By improving convenient access to healthcare, it is more likely that seniors and families will seek out the care they need to prevent serious illness and disease.

Q. Will the new Health Center offer emergency medical services?
A. The new Health Center will not have an Emergency Room capable of treating life-threatening emergencies. Our local ambulance service will continue to transport patients with life-threatening emergencies to the nearest hospital emergency room. However, the new Health Center will offer urgent care for minor accidents and emergencies. This means that patients needing treatment for minor emergencies can access care locally without having to travel to a hospital and endure the long waits in an emergency room.

Q. Will this initiative bring new jobs to Patterson?
A. Yes, it is expected that approval of this initiative will result in hundreds of new jobs with good wages in Patterson. First, an expanded Health Center will create new jobs. Second, the relocation of the Health Center to Keystone Pacific Business Park will attract other healthcare providers who will see a business opportunity in offering their services to the patients seeking care at the Health Center. Third, the new more flexible zoning at the business park will allow other employers to bring their businesses and job opportunities to Patterson.

Q. How much will this initiative increase taxes?
A. Not one penny. This initiative simply makes the zoning changes needed to allow the Del Puerto Health Center to move from its current facility to a new and expanded facility. The facility has already been built by a developer and the cost of moving to the expanded facility will be paid for out of existing revenues to the Del Puerto Healthcare District. No additional funding from taxpayers is required.

Q. What is the Del Puerto Healthcare District?
A. The Del Puerto Healthcare District is a public healthcare agency that serves western Stanislaus County including the cities of Patterson, Newman and Gustine. The District was established in 1949 and operated the Del Puerto Hospital until 1998. The District is governed by an elected Board of Directors. The District currently operates the Del Puerto Health Center located on Ward Avenue in Patterson and provides local ambulance service to respond to local medical emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Q. Why is it necessary to use the initiative process to allow the Health Center to move to the new facility?
A. For many months the issue of the Health Center moving to a new expanded facility has been discussed and debated. In fact, the Patterson Planning Commission has already approved the Health Center’s move. However, a minor change in the zoning of the Keystone Pacific Business Park is required for the move to be finalized. This initiative will make the needed zoning changes and allow the Health Center to move once and for all. The initiative process allows citizens to bring an issue to the City Council. Now that the campaign has submitted signatures from at least 10% of the registered voters in Patterson to the City Clerk, the issue will go before the City Council. The Council has two options: to adopt the initiative so that it becomes law or to place the issue on the ballot for Patterson residents to decide. The initiative process ensures that the issue will be dealt with and decided promptly so that the Health Center can proceed with their planned move and begin providing expanded medical services for the community as soon as possible.

Q. Will there be an election on this initiative? When will it be?
A. Now that the signatures needed to qualify the initiative have been submitted, the initiative will go to the City Council for consideration. If they approve the initiative, it will become law and no election will be necessary. The City Council will also have the option to call for an election on the issue and an election date will be set at that time.

Q. If there is an election, how much will it cost? Who will be responsible for the cost?
A. The cost of a special election on this issue is estimated to be between $35,000 and $40,000. Like all city elections here, the City of Patterson will pay the cost of administering the election. If they choose, the City Council can avoid the cost of the election by adopting the initiative without calling for a special election.

Q. Is there any indication that the community supports this initiative?
A. A statistically reliable public opinion survey of registered voters in Patterson conducted in July indicates that, if this issue is placed on the ballot, 72% of voters would support the initiative. The survey was conducted by EMC Research – a professional survey research firm that has conducted similar opinion studies on hundreds ballot initiatives throughout California. A random sample of 300 registered voters in Patterson completed the telephone survey. The survey has a margin of error of ± 5.7%.

Q. Who is leading the effort to pass this initiative?
A. A volunteer group of Patterson citizens who are committed to expanding access to healthcare and medical specialists in our community has formed to build support for this initiative. The group is called Patterson Citizens for Expanded 21st Century Health Care and is chaired by Kathy Wright, a 19-year Patterson resident and former member of the Patterson City Council. A growing group of volunteers – that includes doctors, nurses, civic leaders, business leaders and others – is now forming to spearhead the effort to see this initiative through to approval.

Q. Where can I find more information? How can get involved to help pass this important initiative?
A. For more information, please call 209-589-5312 or email questions@LocalHealthcareNow.org.