Coalinga Regional Medical Center closed this month, leaving dozens of employees facing an uncertain future. The closure was necessary because of the facility’s insolvency which accrued over a 13-month period of continual losses totaling between $300,00 and $400,000 every month. The final financial picture was dismal: $3.5 million in debt, and long term bonds still needing to be paid off by Coalinga-Huron area residents.
Newly hired CEO, Wayne C. Allen, arrived and took the flailing facility in hand. Delving into the losses, determining causes and systemic failures, Allen moved toward directing the hospital to a new future. Sadly, because the enormity of the debt, CRMC closed more quickly than had been planned.
Many vendors and suppliers had bills outstanding since September, 2017. At least one nursing registry, (the company that supplies qualified nursing staff), had not been paid in over seven months. The registries told their nurses to stop working at CRMC once they learned of the dire financial situation there.
Coalinga’s Rural Health Clinic and the Ralph Neate Skilled Nursing Facilities remain open… (The rest of the article is in May 16 edition of Coalinga Press … available at 192 East Elm, Suite 102)
