Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital could soon be under new management after enough funding was raised to support the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project's bid to purchase the facility, news channel KSBW reported Aug. 23.
Business leaders in the city of Watsonville have sought to raise the $67 million needed to acquire the hospital, which filed for bankruptcy protection in December 2021.
Now, after a $4.5 million pledge from Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente, health officials are within $1.6 million of that $67 million goal, Santa Cruz County administrative officer Carlos Palacios said, according to KSBW.
With the recent pledge, Pajaro Valley Health Care District can close the purchase of the hospital next week, the news station reported.
Mr. Palacios said the healthcare district made offers to all 600 hospital employees to become employees of the healthcare district, effective Sept. 1.
Watsonville Community Hospital CEO Steven Salyer and his management team will remain at the helm.