Resident warns of shrinking local health care as council highlights hospital awards

Ridgecrest

A Ridgecrest resident and third‑generation funeral director told the City Council on Nov. 5 he is alarmed by a perceived decline in local health care access and urged council members to ‘‘start asking the questions’’ about Ridgecrest Hospital and why so many patients are transferred out of the community.

Justin Dunn said he speaks with hundreds of families each year and that “more than ever I hear that they're gonna be leaving when they retire. Why? Because they they don't have any health care.” He described elderly residents traveling to Lancaster, Palmdale and Bakersfield for appointments and said the lack of reliable local inpatient care is contributing to outmigration.

Councilmember Roger Rajaratnam acknowledged Dunn’s concerns, while noting recent positive indicators at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. Rajaratnam said the hospital received its second consecutive American Medical Association “Joy in Medicine” recognition for efforts to reduce staff burnout and improve professional satisfaction; he cited physician satisfaction rising to 90 percent and reported burnout dropping to 10 percent (compared with a national average of about 43 percent). He credited staff retention and well‑being programs as factors in those results and said staffing shortages and medical reimbursement trends are ongoing challenges.

What council said

Council members agreed the city should press for answers and follow up where appropriate; staff and council discussed continuing conversations with hospital leadership and relevant partners. No formal policy action was taken at the meeting, but council members encouraged residents and staff to raise questions and offered to pursue information about hospital capacity and services.

Ending

Council members praised the hospital’s recent recognition and asked staff to follow up on community concerns about access to care and capacity.