Tulare County Officials Look at Plan for Clinics
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider a recommendation by county health officials to close several clinics by July 1, leaving some patients without a nearby care provider, the Fresno Bee reports.
The county Health and Human Services Agency, which operates the clinics, faces a $3 million budget deficit, including $2 million from four of the six county clinics. County health officials in March told supervisors that closing the clinics would save the county about $1.5 million in the current fiscal year.
Harry Foster -- president and CEO of Family HealthCare Network, a not-for-profit health care network in South Valley -- says his organization can help provide care to displaced patients if supervisors vote to close the clinics.
Foster says his organization would need to reach an agreement with the county to use its Porterville clinic, one of the sites set to close. The network's clinic in Porterville is full. Foster added that the network's clinic in Cutler could provide care to Dinuba residents.
The transition to the network's clinics likely would not be complete by July 1, but city leaders are proposing that the supervisors give the organization six months to work out a plan (Jimenez, Fresno Bee, 4/15).