What is a joint powers agreement? California law allows public agencies to work together by signing joint powers agreements (JPAs). The JPA between Tri-City Healthcare District and Fallbrook Healthcare District is a cooperative arrangement allowing

Tri-City Healthcare District and the Fallbrook Healthcare District announced Friday that they have entered in a joint powers agreement. For more on the agrement, read the story. 

Below is a Q&A provided by the district:

What is a joint powers agreement?

California law allows public agencies to work together by signing joint powers agreements (JPAs). The JPA between Tri-City Healthcare District and Fallbrook Healthcare District is a cooperative arrangement allowing the two agencies to share healthcare services and programs.  The goal of this JPA is to enhance the services Fallbrook area residents can access in their community as well as those they must travel to receive. 

What kinds of services does Tri-City Medical Center plan to provide in Fallbrook?

Tri-City Medical Center plans to:

1.    Develop a comprehensive managed care network in the Fallbrook Healthcare District to ensure that most of the services needed are provided at Fallbrook Hospital. 

2.    Assist Fallbrook Healthcare District and Fallbrook Hospital with the recruitment of Primary Care Practitioners to increase the access to and the availability of this type of medical provider locally.

3.    Conduct, together with Fallbrook Hospital, a service area community medical needs assessment to identify the gaps that exist between the medical services required and the current availability of doctors and services at the hospital needed to fulfill those requirements.

What kinds of services will the patients of Fallbrook Hospital get at Tri-City Medical Center?

The residents within the Fallbrook Healthcare District will have available at Tri-City Medical Center the following services:

1.    Acute rehabilitation services

2.    Complex orthopaedic and neurosurgical services

3.    da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System and Mazor Robotics’ Renaissance™ System for spine surgery services

4.    Diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular services

5.    Inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services

6.    Lithotripsy procedures

7.    Neonatal intensive care services

8.    Outpatient infusion therapy

9.    Wound care and hyperbaric medicine

10.  Other tertiary services

How will this work with physicians and staff from both hospitals?

The physicians and clinical staff of each facility will maintain their current independence and governance.  The specialists and hospitalists from Tri-City Medical Center will augment the medical staff at Fallbrook Hospital for the provision of continuity of care for the benefit of the residents of the district.

How many beds does Tri-City Medical Center have?

Tri-City Medical Center has 397 beds.

How many beds does Fallbrook Hospital have?

Fallbrook Hospital has 47 acute care beds and another 93 long-term care/skilled nursing beds.

Is a personnel reduction or cut going to take place at Fallbrook Healthcare District or Tri-City Medical Center as a result of this JPA?

The JPA expands the services available to the patients of Fallbrook Hospital and will increase the likelihood that residents of the Fallbrook service area will be able to access services at the Fallbrook Hospital.

Is Tri-City Medical Center going to benefit financially from this JPA?

Both Tri-City Healthcare District and Fallbrook Healthcare District should benefit as a result of this JPA because most patients will be taken care of locally at Fallbrook Hospital and only high-end services will be provided at Tri-City Medical Center.

Is Tri City Medical Center taking over Fallbrook Hospital?

No. The two public healthcare districts are sharing services and programs to better service patients.

For more information about Fallbrook Hospital, please visit www.fallbrookhospital.com.

For more information about Tri-City Medical Center, please visit www.tricitymed.org.