“For many years Antelope Valley Hospital has made as many changes as previously possible to our emergency room and hospital facilities, but we need to take bold action now to modernize our medical center and effectively provide more resources to our staff and patients. We must provide a safe patient-friendly environment where our world-class doctors, nurses and medical professionals can continue meeting healthcare needs right here in our community,” stated Antelope Valley Healthcare District Board Chair Kristina Hong, RN, NP. “Additionally, California’s earthquake safety requirements could force us to shut down a large portion of our patient care areas if we don’t upgrade our facilities. We must take steps now to improve upon what we have or build a brand new hospital, which will ensure we are here for the community for decades to come.”
In order to comply with California’s seismic safety standards, the hospital must undergo major renovations of its existing facility by 2030. Without these upgrades, which will cost more than $420 million, the hospital will likely be forced to close.
The measure before voters this November sets in motion the creation of a new updated Antelope Valley Hospital that will not only meet seismic standards but also offer an up-to-date medical center with a much larger emergency room. A successful bond measure gives hospital leadership access to additional funds to help cover the cost of a completely new state-of-the-art hospital.
The bond measure will appear on the Statewide General Election ballot on November 6, 2018.
Bond Measure FAQs
The hospital issued a list of commonly asked questions regarding the bond to better inform voters. Read it below:
What will the 2018 AV Hospital General Obligation Bond do?
The 2018 G.O. Bond provides $350 million for Antelope Valley Healthcare District to build a new hospital or upgrade existing facilities in order continue delivering essential healthcare services to the local community.
Why does AV Hospital need these funds?
In order to comply with California’s seismic safety standards, the hospital must undergo major renovations of its existing facility by 2030. Without these upgrades, which will cost more than $420 million, the hospital will likely be forced to close. A successful G.O. Bond designates $350 million to either renovate the current building to meet California’s earthquake safety standards or build an entirely new, state-of-the-art medical center. It is the first step in securing the support of hospital partners to ensure healthcare services in the Antelope Valley for decades to come.
What happens if the bond doesn’t pass?
Without the funds to either retrofit the existing building or build a new medical center, Antelope Valley Hospital would likely be forced to shut its doors by 2030. The hospital serves the entire Antelope Valley community of more than 500,000 residents, including Palmdale, Lancaster, Littlerock, Rosamond, Edwards and more. It is the area’s only hospital that offers a trauma center, inpatient mental health care, pediatric unit, neonatal intensive care unit, labor and delivery, and pediatric approved emergency department. Additionally, it is a safety-net hospital for patients with little or no ability to pay. Losing the hospital would impact the entire community.
How many beds will a new hospital have?
Current plans provide for a brand new 215- to 230-bed hospital in addition to the Women & Infants Pavilion, a separate 96-bed building on the hospital campus that opened in 2006. Together, the new hospital and the existing Women & Infants Pavilion would house up to 326 beds.
Since the current hospital is 420 beds, how is a 320-bed hospital big enough?
The size of a new hospital is based on actual patient data, community projections and affordability.
While AV Hospital is licensed for 420 beds, that quantity hasn’t been used in years. Currently, the average number of daily patients is approximately 175 (not including the Women & Infants Pavilion).
The Women & Infants Pavilion will remain in place, and a new facility would house 215-230 beds. The proposed bed count is based on a study conducted by world-class, independent experts who have said that this is sufficient to meet patient demand. The analysis takes into account the projected population growth of the Antelope Valley over the next 10-15 years as well as trends in healthcare that show significant movement of inpatient services to outpatient settings.
At the current average cost-per-bed of $3.4 million for new construction, a 215- to 230-bed hospital is what the community can afford at this time according to the market research and data that has been independently collected. There’s also room for growth in the future if it is needed.
How are the bonds repaid?
After the amount of funds are determined to be necessary and the interest rate for such bonds fixed, the bond holders will be repaid from the owners of real property within the District. The annual amount, once determined, will appear on the annual property tax bill for each property owner. The estimated cost is $25 per $100,000 of assessed property value.
While plans for the future are taking shape, what is being done to improve the emergency department in the meantime?
Innovations are currently underway at AV Hospital to mitigate overcrowding, decrease wait times and improve the patient experience in the Emergency Room. These include:
Opening an “Express Admission Unit” for patients who are awaiting admission to the hospital.
Establishing a designated psychiatric evaluation area.
Adding beds for patients who need to be monitored, but are not being admitted.
Creating a special waiting area for patients who have been discharged from inpatient care and are waiting to be picked up.
Over the years, some patients have experienced long wait times in the ER and have been told it was because “a bed wasn’t available.” How can voters be assured the number of beds in a new facility will be sufficient?
The reasons behind delays in getting admitted to a bed are varied and complicated. They range from bed availability in a specific unit to which a patient needs to be admitted to the length of time required to completely disinfect a room between patients to having the required number of nurses on duty at that moment.
A new facility with the latest technology and a much larger emergency department will be specifically designed to alleviate overcrowding and handle the demand.
Where would a new hospital be built?
Antelope Valley Healthcare District owns an expansive piece of land on which the hospital is currently located. A new hospital would be built on the west side of the campus between the Women & Infants Pavilion and the old Kmart shopping center.
What would happen to the existing building?
The hospital’s architects and other experts will perform a study to determine options for either repurposing the current facility or demolishing it.
[Information via news release from Antelope Valley Hospital.]
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Ithinknot says
More money to put into a hospital with an F rating?
Are they INSANE? The money will go to an money mongering CEO and CFO, nurses will be let go, or they will hire nurses who could care less about quality care because they are outsourced, or will load the patient to nurse ratio so high (and illegal) that they couldn’t possibly give quality care.
NO WAY would I sign up for that.
We need a NEW hospital that is not affiliated with AVH in any way-including using the same old Good OLD BOYS CLUB. New CEO and CFO. Fuhgeddaboudit!
Desert Rat says
The hospital actually added more parking. How do I know,I was paid for a shift to count all of the parking spaces around the entire facility, that was almost 13years ago. It took the hospital 10years to implement the changes.
That many beds sit empty because lack of staff. The pediatric intensive Care unit sits as storage due to staffing, that’s about 8 beds. There are several mental health beds empty as well. 3north is opened and closed due to staffing issues. Maybe if they were able to hire and retain staff so many beds wouldnt be empty. What would be done with the current hospital?? Do the build out by Home Depot, the hospital owns all of the vacant land West towards Home Depot. So does the employee lot now become the patient/visitor lot???
I agree a hospital should be opened on the East side,but won’t happen.
And as a side not the hospital serves a much bigger area. Ambulances from Lone Pine and Lee Vinging have taken patients to AV due to snow on the 395 to Mammoth. The hospital also covers and closest trauma for issues out near Quail Lake. Middle of Green Valley down towards Red Rover Mine Road. It covers accidents and issues north of Hidden Springs on the Forest Hwy. Down south to Phelen area and the County Line in Lake L.A. when I worked there we had accidents and folks come from all of those areas.
Jason Zink says
Vote No!
What was shocking too me is that half the hospital sits empty???? Yet they push us in a small ER box and make us wait hours and line people in the hallways in beds. They did this to me for over 7 hours. Many people wait 4 hours and are never seen and leave. This is 3rd world health treatment not America. 200+ beds sit empty????
We have elderly, homeless woman and mend children, we have people that have to drive to LA for detox because there is not one in AV. AV does not have a acute care facility.
Why would people that live on the Eastside and South Eastside of AV or even think of paying for a property tax. We need a ER on the Eastside. There has been no community input, no outreach of AV public opinion. This is what is wrong with AV leadership!
Eastside lives Matter – Time to ER Matters!!!!
Public Input Matters! Treating people right Matters! Vote No!!!!! Until AV Health District does it right! I have heard many people at many meetings and in the paper say the same thing. Our AV leadership just doesn’t listen.
Vote No!
Jason Zink says
I forgot too mention that AV Hospital wasted around $20 Million on CEO payoffs, Nurses Strike, Lawsuit, Attorney Fees, and bad credit line mistakes. This would of paid for a bigger ER. On top of all that AV property owners contribute around $12 Million a year too the LA County Trauma Fund. For the last decade, AV Hospital was only receiving $1 million a year. Now we are receiving about $4 million per year. Still not our fair share. You do the math = AV Leadership has allowed over $150 Million of AV tax dollars that staed in LA. If AV public knew this hoe AV leadership failed us All. They need to fight for existing dollars not tax people more because of their mistakes.
Vote No until public knows true story and facts and can give input. How will this tax effect low income homeowners? Will they lose their house? A lot of questions very little answers.
Vote No!
Richard Smith says
Why don’t they work on their Doctors and Nurses and how they treat their patients before they upgrade the facility. Lots of Malpractice at AV Hospital.
Alby says
The a.v. hospital consists of fat slobs that think they work at a mechanical shop. They’re rude and pushy. They can’t tell their ass from a hole in the ground. I was told by a nurse to wait in a room. Another nurse came out later and said I wasn’t allowed to be in that room and I had to leave. I decided to wait instead so then she called security on me and we had a wrestling match that got me in jail only to have my case dismissed at the end. I guess she never dealt with a seizure patient before. I hope she burns in hell along with the stupid cavity searching pepedophile cops that made me out to be the bad guy. They need to send a majority of those nurses to a real school and not just that internet b.s. that a dummy can pull out of a cracker jack box. Save the money for a new building and use it for educating real professionals that have a heart for this kind of work.
Bethy says
Oh, and to the good folks of AV hospital, a friendly reminder for your next remodel: don’t forget to take out more parking places, so all those pesky people will have to circle the lot for hours, all for naught :)
Michael Rives says
This has nothing to do with healthcare. If you believe it, let me sell you a mile of 14 freeway. This has to do with selling bonds to wealthy investors who will have tax-free interest income for the next 30 years. The hospital recently refinanced 130 million that it owes to be paid over a 30 year span resulting, once again, with investors earned tax-free income. The hospital should partner with H.U.D. or investigate other options to finance repairs to the hospital. The Finance Committee and the Board have already voted to begin earthquake retrofit with existing funds, have not taken any action. Finally, the taxpayers should not pay for a hospital in a partnership with Kaiser. Kaiser said that they would build a new hospital (near where the new clinic building is on L.) Instead, they decided to partner with AV Hospital and not build a new hospital, but send their patients there. Now, they may want to build a new hospital with the AV Healthcare District. Let Kaiser build its own hospital. Let AV Hospital take care of the non-Kaiser and others. AV Hospital does not need to partner with anyone but HUD who can give us federal monies and support which we qualify for.
Alexis says
Scare tactics.
Eric says
Per the article, “The annual amount, once determined, will appear on the annual property tax bill for each property owner. The estimated cost is $25 per $100,000 of assessed property value.” Does anyone know what cities will be taxed? Will Lancaster residents be footing the bill or would it be all AV cities?
Nisha says
… the last remodel, AV Hospital execs eliminated over 140 parking slots, but for no good reason than the express purpose of inconveniencing us. Perhaps this time around, they’ll put parking meters, for which spark capitalize upon vehicle impound fees, and they’ll put even more pedestrian impediments for which to make it all the more difficult and treacherous to traverse, for the elderly and the handicapped.
Laughing says
Looks like there is more parking than before. Perhaps you mean the security lot for employees making it easier for them to find parking at their place of employment. Meanwhile the lot was extended behind the facility and seems to be getting more extensions into the vacant lot area.