Paradise residents urge local emergency services, specialists as consultants gather data

Paradise Town consultants met with residents on March 4 to collect community input for a council-commissioned health-care needs study focused on emergency services, primary care access and specialty care after the loss of local hospital capacity.

The meeting, convened by ad hoc health care committee member Steve Crowder and council member Ron Lassonde, was part of an objective study the council directed staff to commission. Colette, a town staff member, told attendees the study will analyze historical and current utilization and project needs over five- to 15-year horizons: "our staff here was given direction by our council to, hire a consultant who is objective, who can go through this process to gather information from many different sources," she said.

Why it matters: community speakers described long waits at valley hospitals, frequent long ambulance or air-transport trips and gaps in services for children, maternal care and seniors. Residents said those gaps affect daily life and decisions about returning to or remaining in the area. The consultants said the study will compile those local accounts with state, regional and provider data to present an evidence-based case to potential health providers and funders.

Consultants and study scope

Dr. Dave Fillebecchi, who identified himself as an emergency physician and one of the consultants, said the firm has done interviews and is collecting data from national and state sources as well as local providers. "We're gathering data from a variety of sources," he said, and listed contacts that include Adventist Health and Paradise Medical Group. He and consultant Bill Bullard said they were examining ground and air transport use, historical baselines (2017), post-fire changes and five- and 10- to 15-year projections.

Community priorities raised

Speakers repeatedly called for an emergency department or expanded emergency services, more consistent primary-care providers, pediatric services and local specialty clinics. "As I know everybody's big ask is gonna be, we need a hospital," said Steve Crowder. Resident Kristen described families traveling to Chico for pediatric care and cited a school-district finding that "the highest growing number of residents in this community are the age 27 to 42," a demographic tied to demand for pediatric and family services.

Former hospital staff and long-term residents urged restoration of local emergency capacity. Nancy, who said she worked at Feather River Hospital for 47 years, emphasized the need for an ER: "I emphatically ask that we get an ER." Susan Copeland, a former clinic and hospital worker, urged local access to care and said she often watches ambulances pass her home: "So we need local access to care. We need providers that will accept medical. We do need an ER." Several speakers described multi-hour waits at valley hospitals and long ambulance or flight-transfer times.

Other needs and ideas

Speakers raised additional priorities for the study: outpatient specialty clinics, maternal and birthing services (including midwifery/doula options), dental access beyond the existing clinic, nursing-home capacity and clearing or improving helicopter landing sites used by air transport. Steve Cullerton and others suggested exploring micro-hospitals or other facility models to increase local capacity. Heidi Lang suggested the consultants compare models such as Greenville Rancheria's rural medical services.

Data and outreach the consultants are collecting

Residents urged consultants to gather utilization data showing where Paradise-area residents currently obtain care (Chico, Oroville, Enloe, others), ambulance and air-transport logs, clinic referral patterns and school-district health surveys. One speaker noted a Pine Ridge School health and wellness center that opened in January; the speaker suggested its survey and grant materials could inform the study. Consultants confirmed they are gathering provider, insurer and transport data and conducting interviews with local and regional organizations.

Next steps and timeline

Colette and committee members said the consultants will continue collecting data and return to present findings and options in several months. The consultants said their report will aim to show providers what the community needs now and what it is likely to need as the population evolves, to support recruitment or investment decisions. Colette told residents the study is intended to produce an objective, actionable plan the council can use to approach health-care providers and funders.

The meeting was entirely a public-input session; no formal vote or ordinance was recorded. Town staff and the consultants encouraged residents who could not speak to submit information and emphasized the study will combine community testimony with objective utilization and provider data.

Ending

Residents thanked the consultants and committee members and urged continued community involvement as the study proceeds. "We're not giving up," a committee member said near the close of the meeting.