Health care districts are California special districts created to build and operate hospitals and other health care facilities and services in underserved areas. As of 2019, there are 79 health care districts in California. Each health care district is governed by a locally elected five-member board of directors. Palomar Health in San Diego County is the largest district in California.
In 1945, the California Legislature passed the Local Hospital District Law which authorized the special districts.Stats. 1945, Ch. 932 Most of the current health care districts were established in the first two decades thereafter. In 1965, the Legislature passed the District Reorganization Act of 1965 which made changes to the law.Stats. 1965, Ch. 2043 In 1994, they were renamed as "health care districts", reflecting that health care was increasingly being provided outside of the hospital setting.Stats. 1994, Ch. 696 (SB 1169, Maddy)
Powers and functions Authority granted to health care districts includes:
Operating health care facilities such as hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), adult day health centers, nurses' training school, and child care facilities. Operating ambulance services within and outside of the district. Operating programs that provide chemical dependency services, health education, wellness and prevention, rehabilitation, and aftercare. Carrying out activities through corporations, joint ventures, or partnerships. Establishing or participating in managed care. Contracting with and making grants to provider groups and clinics in the community. Other activities that are necessary for the maintenance of good physical and mental health in communities served by the district.
Community-based health districts
Beach Cities Health District, Redondo Beach Beach Cities Health District website Camarillo Health District, Camarillo Camarillo Health District website Corning Healthcare District, Corning Del Norte Healthcare District, Crescent City Desert Healthcare District, Palm Springs Desert Healthcare District website Eden Township Healthcare District, Castro Valley Fallbrook Healthcare District, Fallbrook Grossmont Healthcare District, La Mesa Grossmont Healthcare District website Los Medanos Community Healthcare District, Pittsburg Los Medanos Community Healthcare District website Marin Healthcare District, Greenbrae Mark Twain Health Care District, San Andreas Mark Twain Health Care District website Mount Diablo Healthcare District, Concord Palo Verde Health Care District, Blythe Peninsula Health Care District, Burlingame Peninsula Health Care District Petaluma Health Care District, Petaluma Petaluma Health Care District website Redbud Health Care District, Clearlake Redbud Health Care District website Sequoia Health Care District, Redwood City Sequoia Health Care District website West Side Healthcare District, Newman West Contra Costa Healthcare District West Contra Costa Healthcare District website
Rural districts operating hospitals
Bear Valley Community Healthcare District, Big Bear Lake Chowchilla Memorial Hospital District, Chowchilla Coalinga Hospital District, Coalinga Corcoran Hospital District, Corcoran Eastern Plumas Healthcare District, Portola Hi-Desert Memorial Health Care District, Joshua Tree John C. Fremont Healthcare District, Mariposa Kern Valley Healthcare District, Lake Isabella Kern Valley Healthcare District website Kingsburg District Hospital, Kingsburg Lompoc Healthcare District, Lompoc Lompoc Healthcare District website Mayers Memorial Hospital District, Fall River Mills Mendocino Coast Healthcare District, Fort Bragg North Sonoma County Hospital District, Healdsburg Northern Inyo Healthcare District, Bishop Oak Valley Hospital District, Oakdale Palm Drive Health Care District, Sebastopol Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District, Brawley Plumas District Hospital, Quincy San Benito Health Care District, Hollister San Bernardino Mountains Community Hospital District, Lake Arrowhead San Gorgonio Memorial Health Care District, Banning Seneca Healthcare District, Chester Sierra Kings Health Care District, Reedley Sierra View District Hospital, Porterville Sonoma Valley Health Care District, Sonoma Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District, Garberville Southern Inyo Healthcare District, Lone Pine Southern Mono Healthcare District, Mammoth Lakes Surprise Valley Health Care District, Cedarville Tahoe Forest Hospital District, Truckee Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District, Tehachapi Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District Tulare District Healthcare System, Tulare Tulare District Healthcare System website
Non-rural district operating hospitals
Antelope Valley Healthcare District, Lancaster Antelope Valley Healthcare District website City of Alameda Health Care District, Alameda El Camino Hospital District, Mountain View El Camino Hospital District website Heffernan Memorial Hospital District, Calexico Kaweah Delta Health Care District, Visalia Kaweah Delta Health Care District website Palomar Health, San Diego County Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, Salinas Tri-City Healthcare District, Oceanside Valley Health System, Hemet Washington Township Health Care District, Fremont
Districts operating skilled-nursing facilities North Kern South Tulare Hospital District, Delano Soledad Community Health Care District, Soledad Soledad Community Health Care District website Eastern Plumas Health Care District, Portola, CA Mountain Communities Healthcare District, Trinity Hospital, Weaverville, CA Bear Valley Community Healthcare District, Big Bear Lake, CA Kern Valley Healthcare District, Lake Isabella, CA Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District, Jerold Phelps Community Hospital SNF, Garberville CA
Districts operating ambulances Cambria Community Health District, Cambria Cambria Community Health District website Cloverdale Health Care District, Cloverdale Del Puerto Health Care District, Patterson Muroc Healthcare District, Boron Oak Valley Hospital District, Oakdale West Side Community Healthcare District, Newman Eastern Plumas Healthcare District, Portola, CA
Districts operating clinics Bloss Memorial Healthcare District, Atwater Bloss Memorial Healthcare District website Del Puerto Health Care District, Patterson Mendocino Coast Healthcare District, Fort Bragg Mendocino Coast District Hospital web site Northern Inyo Healthcare District, Bishop Soledad Community Health Care District, Soledad Soledad Community Health Care District web site Kern Valley Healthcare District; Mountain View Health Center, Mountain Mesa Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District, SoHum Health Community Clinic, Garberville
See also Local government in California
References
Further reading
External links Local Health Care District Law in the California Health and Safety Code Association of California Healthcare Districts