On April 9, the California Hospital Association (CHA) convened a gathering in Sacramento of critical access hospital (CAH) leaders, legislators, and staff in support of Senate Bill (SB) 1423, which aims to stabilize health care services in rural, remote communities.
Each of California’s 37 CAHs has 25 or fewer beds and serves communities at least 35 miles from another medical facility. Under serious financial pressure, nearly two-thirds are operating in the red. The communities they serve are the backbone of California’s agriculture sector, water supply, tourism, and more.
CHA-sponsored SB 1423 will be heard in the Senate Health Committee next week. Ahead of that hearing, CHA also launched a complementary social media campaign targeted at Sacramento lawmakers. At the heart of the campaign are two videos (view here and here) that demonstrate why California must act to help preserve access to care in rural and underserved areas. To see the latest, follow CHA on Twitter/X profile (note that users must be logged in to view the recent feed).
