BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    ACR 169


                                                                    Page  1





          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING


          ACR  
          169 (Dahle)


          As Introduced  April 13, 2016


          Majority vote


           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |Committee       |Votes|Ayes                  |Noes                |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
          |Local           |9-0  |Eggman, Waldron,      |                    |
          |Government      |     |Mullin, Bonilla,      |                    |
          |                |     |Chiu, Cooley, Jones,  |                    |
          |                |     |Gordon, Linder        |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
           ------------------------------------------------------------------ 


          SUMMARY:  Designates the month of May 2016 as Health Care  
          District Month.  Specifically, this resolution makes a number of  
          findings, including the following:
          1)Health care districts were created after World War II to  
            address a shortage of access to acute hospital care for many  
            areas of the state, particularly the rural areas of  
            California.
          2)The first health care district was formed in 1946 and the  
            first district hospital opened in 1947. 










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          3)Today there are 78 health care districts in California; 40  
            health care districts currently operate 43 district hospitals.


          4)Their primary mission has not changed, which is to provide  
            health services to the communities that created them.


          5)District hospitals make up 26 of the state's rural hospitals  
            and 20 of the state's critical access hospitals.


          6)District hospitals provided $71 million in charity care in  
            2013, offering financial support to community programs focused  
            on the health and well-being of the children and adults in the  
            districts.


          7)Fifty health care districts operate in a health professional  
            shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a medically  
            underserved population. 


          8)Health care districts collectively provide the following  
            services:  acute care, emergency care, skilled nursing or  
            long-term care, community and rural health clinics, ambulance  
            services, adult day care, senior housing and nutritional  
            support, chronic disease management, health education, medical  
            transportation, home health, and hospice.


          9)Health care districts cover 49,354 square miles of the state,  
            provide services in 40 counties, employ around 32,000  
            employees, and see more than 4,000,000 patient visits  
            annually. 


          10)Health care districts are formed by the will of the people,  
            with board members elected and accountable to their  








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            communities.  Health care districts are often supported in  
            part by local tax dollars to improve community health.


          11)Health care districts serve as an integral part of the safety  
            net for the state's underinsured or uninsured.


          12)In 2013, health care districts treated approximately 1.4  
            million Medi-Cal beneficiaries, or 9% of the statewide total. 


          13)Each health care district is uniquely focused on the specific  
            needs of the community it serves.  


          14)Health care districts utilize a varying revenue stream,  
            workforce size, services offered, and geographic locations to  
            cater to the health services most needed by their communities.


          FISCAL EFFECT:  None


          COMMENTS:  


          1)Bill Summary.  This resolution makes a number of findings and  
            designates the month of May 2016 as Health Care District  
            Month.
          2)Author's Statement.  According to the author, "ACR 169 seeks  
            to raise awareness about California healthcare districts by  
            recognizing May 2016 as Healthcare District Month."


          3)Related Legislation.  ACR 69 (Chavez), Resolution Chapter 80,  
            Statutes of 2015, proclaimed the month of May 2015 as Health  
            Care District Month in California.









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          4)Arguments in Support.  The Association of California  
            Healthcare Districts (ACHD), sponsor of this resolution,  
            states:  "ACHD represents 78 healthcare special districts  
            throughout California, in both urban and rural settings.   
            Districts offer a variety of services aimed at improving  
            community health including acute hospital care, chronic  
            disease management education, senior services, ambulance  
            services, primary care clinics, dental clinics, nutritional  
            counseling, physical education, and long term care/skilled  
            nursing, among others.  In communities across the state,  
            Healthcare Districts are the sole source of health care -  
            serving as an integral part of the safety net for the state's  
            uninsured and underinsured."


          5)Arguments in Opposition.  None on file.




          Analysis Prepared by:                                             
                          Dixie Petty / L. GOV. / (916) 319-3958  FN:  
          0002904