Board orders internal review of Santa Paula Hospital options after emotional public hearing

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 18 directed county staff to conduct an internal evaluation of health‑service capacity and facility options for Santa Paula, Fillmore and Piru after an hours‑long presentation and an extended public comment period.

Supervisor Carmen Long, who represents the area, introduced a staff briefing that reviewed the current Santa Paula Hospital facility, declining inpatient volumes and the county’s prior efforts to identify a new hospital site. Hospital leaders told the board the facility’s licensed 49‑bed building has been operating well below full capacity and that the county was relying on supplemental revenue programs and quality incentives to offset costs.

VCMC CEO Dr. John Fankhauser described a multi‑year decline in admissions and a drop in average daily census that accelerated after the hospital closed its ICU and obstetrics services. He said outpatient surgery and imaging investments had improved some revenues but that the hospital still recorded operating losses. “We’ve never had the ability to drive the census up above the high teens for a sustained period,” Fankhauser said.

The board heard more than a dozen members of the public, clinicians and community leaders who urged the county not to abandon local emergency and inpatient services. "Losing a hospital decreases the resiliency of our system," said Dr. Ben Fowler, a hospitalist who works at both VCMC and Santa Paula. Community members and local officials said travel times on Highway 126 are long and dangerous for people who would otherwise rely on the local emergency room.

County presenters and the board acknowledged the competing pressures: a county health system already dealing with large cash‑flow challenges and future federal policy risks, while residents emphasized local access and equity. After debate, the board unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Long, seconded by Supervisor Lopez, to: 1) receive and file the presentation; 2) redirect staff to perform an internal evaluation of consolidated health‑service capacity, facility utilization and sustainable future service options for the Santa Clara Valley; and 3) return with findings, options and a plan — including a briefing on whether a hospital district or other governance/funding mechanisms should be considered — at a February 10, 2026 board meeting.

What the board did not do: it did not authorize capital work to seismically retrofit the existing building nor approve a new hospital construction contract. Instead the board sought more analysis to weigh community needs, projected use and long‑term financial sustainability.

Next steps: staff will compile utilization, demographic and operating data; brief the board in February 2026; and pursue community engagement with the Blue Ribbon committee, healthcare staff and city leaders as part of the internal analysis.