Betrayed
A quick update on the bond measure: The Mountains Community Hospital District Board has voted to place the bond measure we discussed on the November 3 ballot. As a reminder, the measure would help repay the $48.5 million USDA loan supporting our $72 million hospital expansion and modernization project. As we discussed, we had a plan in place to finance the project. However, changes to Medi-Cal funding under the OBBBA are expected to reduce our annual revenue by approximately $4 million—more than our current bottom line—and put us into a negative cash flow position. This makes the bond measure an important part of our plan to ensure we can continue moving forward with the project. The project includes mandatory seismic upgrades, a new emergency department, a new acute care wing, and an expansion of our skilled nursing services. This is critical work to ensure that our hospital remains here for our community when we need it most—during disasters and for generations to come.
Mark Turner, Chief Executive Officer Mountains Community Health
Kim McGuire, Chief Development Officer and also Executive Director, Mountain Community Hospital Foundation
Presentation title: Strengthening Healthcare Close to Home: Seismic Resilience, Expansion and Navigating the Future of Healthcare Funding
This talk focuses on Mountains Community Health’s efforts to strengthen healthcare close to home for the San Bernardino Mountain communities. It will highlight the hospital’s work to meet the State’s 2030 seismic requirements, expand and modernize facilities, and navigate an increasingly complex healthcare funding environment – including impending cuts to Medi-Cal reimbursements that will make the future especially challenging for small rural hospitals.
Mark Turner, Chief Executive Officer Mountains Community Health
Mark Turner has over 40 years of experience leading and managing healthcare organizations. Since 2022, Mark has served as the CEO of Mountains Community Hospital in Lake Arrowhead. He previously served as the CEO of Capital Medical Center in Olympia, WA; San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital in Banning, CA; and Ojai Valley Community Hospital in Ojai, CA. Mark has also served on numerous industry and community non-profit boards and currently serves as the President of the District Hospital Leadership Forum.
Mark earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin. He is a CPA, and a former Fellow in both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
