Nurses weigh in on proposed Tenet lease for Desert Regional; special meeting date set

Nurses weigh in on proposed Tenet lease for Desert Regional; special meeting date set

Desert Sun

November 28, 2023

As the Desert Healthcare District renegotiates a contract between Tenet Healthcare and Desert Regional Medical Center, more than a dozen health care workers urged caution during Tuesday night’s board meeting. Other hospital employees, meanwhile, defended the facility. Tenet Healthcare, the private company that runs Desert Regional Medical Center, proposed another 30-year lease with the hospital during a special meeting with the district in September. ... Dallas-based Tenet’s current 30-year lease expires in 2027, and under the new proposal, the company would have the opportunity to purchase the hospital from Desert Healthcare District at the end of the new lease. About 15 local members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United union, wearing red shirts and scrubs, attended the meeting. Several addressed the board during public comment, alleging that the hospital needs repairs and additional staff members to meet standard. They also urged the district to take its time and not rush a renegotiated contract. Rachel Garcia, an ICU nurse at Desert Regional Medical Center, has worked at the hospital for 15 years. She said that she and her colleagues have “a lot of significant concerns about the constant and recurring state of disrepair” at the hospital. ... “If we are wanting them to extend this lease, we should be holding them accountable,” Garcia said. ... Other health care workers praised their time at the hospital.