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Tehachapi Hospital Not Needed
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Posted by gardnews Thu Apr 17, 2008 14:42:53 PDT
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Tehachapi doesn’t need a hospital, it needs a 24 hour urgent care. Most of the emergency rooms in the California are clogged with non-paying patients. The 24 hour urgent care has replaced the hospital for most people. These little corner offices offer most types of non-surgical care. They set broken bones, give intravenous drugs to heart attack patients, and quickly diagnose aliments. Then patients head off to a real hospital by ambulance for complete care, including surgery.

I know that not everyone will believe this is the new paradigm for care in California. Many say that a hospital is the only complete solution. The 24 hour urgent care is a close approximation to a hospital and doesn’t require a million dollar outlay. These urgent care offices come complete with X-ray machine, an automated blood testing equipment, and well stock medical supplies.

So why does Tehachapi need a hospital? The Techachapi Health Care Distict should dissolve its operation. Residents can seek a private 24 hour urgent care solution.
 

— Judith Gardner
 

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Comment From: TK

You may need to check with CA State law about ambulances and urgent care clinics. I don't think an ambulance can take a patient to anything but an ER. It's a very long way to Bakersfield while doing chest compressions. When this hospital closes we'll see a lot of people dying that are now being saved. The ER sees 800 to 1000 people every month. Comment From: gardnews

I went to a 24 hour clinic 2 years ago in ambulance. The amublance company told my husband that they would take me anywhere he designated. Since I was in the Los Angeles area and the emergency rooms were full they took me to urgent care. The purpose of my comments were to mention that our Tehachapi hospital is nothing more than a public urgent care. The hospital doesn't perform surgery and won't treat trama. If we had a urgent care then those heart attack paitents could be treated in our own facility. I haven't heard of anyone being treated by a heart specialist at the Tehachapi hospital anyway. Comment From: ProgressoDasani

TK, if a law needs to be changed to allow ambulance transport to an acute care center, that's what Jean Fuller is for. The California Code is chock-full of special exceptions that recognize the circumstances of specfic localities.

But its nice to see that the consultant who has clarified the extent we were sold a bill of goods is not being badgered for his "negativity" and "fault-finding", like others have!

Comment From: eekitsaspider

I agree with Gardnews Tehachapi does need a 24 hour urgent care. But to not have a hospital that is a little absurd. Bakersfield and Lancaster are a little too far away for someone who is critical. Comment From: motobabe

I worked at the Tehachapi Hospital for some time and I'm not sure if you realize or not that there are elderly people who live there as long term care residents. If we close the hospital to build an urgent care facility these residents will have no where to go. They will have to be transferred- most likely out of town (if their families can afford it) and with how expensive the price of gas is their families might not be able to visit them as often as they would with them living here. While I think an urgent care facility would be a good thing for our town to have, I think the residents already living in our current hospital (who are probably looking forward to having a new room at the hospital yet to be built) are more important.