Anne McLeod, President and CEO of Private Essential Access Community Hospitals (PEACH), today issued the following statement following Governor Gavin Newsom’s presentation of his January Budget:
“The budget is the clearest articulation of an Administration’s priorities. California’s community-safety net hospitals are urging the Governor to prioritize the care they provide to California’s most vulnerable Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
California’s community safety-net hospitals met the moment – again and again – and are now on the brink, facing looming bankruptcies, closures and loss of services in communities that are already under-resourced.
It’s essential that the Governor and our state’s leaders respond to the call for relief from our community safety-net hospitals. We are pleased to see funding for the Medi-Cal program. It’s imperative that as budget discussions continue, Medi-Cal funding is prioritized to support California’s most vulnerable patients served by our community safety-net hospitals.
After nearly three years of COVID-19 response, immediate and meaningful relief is essential to ensure continued access to healthcare for the state’s most vulnerable patients that cannot always get the same support that other Californians receive.”
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