Adventist Health Mendocino Coast

Adventist Health Mendocino Coast (AHMC), formerly known as Mendocino Coast District Hospital (MCDH) is a critical access hospital in Fort Bragg, California located along the coastal U.S. Route 101.

History

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The hospital was founded on June 26, 1971.[1]

The hospital began facing financial difficulties in 2002 after the town's largest commercial employer, Georgia-Pacific shut down its lumber mill.[2] In 2012, the hospital declared bankruptcy.[2]

On July 1, 2019, the hospital abandoned its MEDITECH Expanse electronic health record software upgrade after spending US$4 (equivalent to $4.77 in 2023) million due to cost overruns.[3][4]

On July 1, 2020, Mendocino Coast District Hospital signed a 30-year operations agreement with Adventist Health.[1] The hospital's labor and delivery unit was closed following the partnership with Adventist Health after births fell from a high of 250 babies annually in the 1980s to 50 in 2021 with patients opting traveling to Ukiah to deliver.[5][6][7]

On December 1, 2022, the hospital completed a $15 million transition to the new Cerner EHR from Meditech funded by Adventist Health.[8]

On October 4, 2024, Adventist Health notified the hospital that it would restructure its operations lease due to improve returns.[9]

Patient population

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Approximately 80% of patient's at the hospital are covered under Medicare and Medicaid.[2]

Board

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The hospital is owned by the Mendocino Coast Health Care District Board. Following the 2020 partnership with Adventist health, the board no longer has oversight of operations.

In 2024, a grand jury investigation of the board found numerous issues including that board members lacked relevant experience, a lack of minutes or audits for over a year, and the storage of funds in non-interest bearing accounts that were not FDIC insured and had excessive fees.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Adventist Health Mendocino Coast celebrates 50 years of healthcare". Fort Bragg Advocate-News. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Dembosky, April (November 23, 2015). "Mendocino Coast Fights To Keep Its Lone Hospital Afloat". All Things Considered. NPR. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  3. ^ Calder, Chris (30 May 2019). "New CFO, software issues occupy hospital directors". The Mendocino Beacon. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  4. ^ Drees, Jackie (1 July 2019). "California hospital delays $4M Meditech EHR implementation". www.beckershospitalreview.com. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  5. ^ Calder, Chris (7 November 2019). "Mendocino Coast District Hospital: Finances, labor and delivery are committee focus". Fort Bragg Advocate-News. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  6. ^ Calder, Chris (14 November 2019). "Adventist execs field questions about hospital affiliation". The Mendocino Beacon. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  7. ^ White, Carole (6 March 2020). "Unanswered questions behind closing Labor and Delivery: Carole White". Fort Bragg Advocate-News. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Cerner Electronic Health Record coming to Adventist Health Mendocino Coast Hospital". Fort Bragg Advocate-News. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  9. ^ Nash, Susan (4 October 2024). "Mendocino Coast's only hospital threatens termination of its lease". The Mendocino Voice. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Grand Jury releases findings on Mendocino Coast Health Care District Board". Fort Bragg Advocate-News. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.