LVMC Partners with Valley Medical Group

During a special meeting this week, the Lompoc Valley Medical Center Board of Directors approved a partnership with Valley Medical Group to purchase the building at 136 N. Third St. in order to facilitate the formation of a hospital-based clinic on the property.

The board also approved the establishment of Professional Service Agreements with Dr. Lisa Ercolini-Bhatia; Dr. William H. Gausman Jr.; Dr. Christopher Lumsdaine; Dr. Brian Taber; Dr. Bandhit Sinkaset and Dr. Rollin Bailey, who will practice at the building now owned by Lompoc Valley Medical Center. In addition, Dr. Rod Huss also has a Professional Service Agreement with LVMC to practice at that location.

Escrow closed on the property June 30, 2016.

“VMG and LVMC have a long history of partnering to enable residents to maintain access to primary and specialty care in our community and we will continue to do so under this new agreement,” said LVMC Chief Executive Officer Jim Raggio. “The other benefit of forming this clinic is that both VMG and LVMC will be better positioned to respond to pressure from the federal government to integrate the healthcare delivery system by forming hospital-physician integrated delivery systems.”

All rural hospitals in California have been dealing with significant physician shortages and physician recruitment problems, Mr. Raggio said. As a political subdivision of the state of California, LVMC has the ability to establish a hospital-based clinic under section 1206(b) of the California Health and Safety Code.

The Professional Service Agreements with the physicians takes effect July 1, 2016. All 27 Valley Medical Group staff members will transition to LVMC employment by August. Karen Pacheco will continue as the onsite administrator.

Lompoc Valley Medical Center now employs approximately 775 people. Its facilities include a 60-bed acute care hospital; the Comprehensive Care Center, a 110-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility; the Champion Center, a 34-bed voluntary chemical dependency treatment center and a variety of outpatient services, including hematology/oncology, sleep studies, diagnostic imaging and physical therapy.