San Andreas, CA…Measure A will approve a new lease between Mark Twain Medical Center and the Mark Twain Health Care District and renew the affiliation with Dignity Health. What will Measure A do? Measure A will ensure Calaveras County residents continue to receive high-quality, compassionate health care by approving a new lease between Mark Twain Medical Center and the Mark Twain Health Care District and renewing the affiliation with Dignity Health. Without a new lease between Mark Twain Medical Center and the Mark Twain Health Care District and a renewed affiliation with Dignity Health, the hospital could be forced to close.

What impact has the existing affiliation had on health care in Calaveras County? Dignity Health and Mark Twain Medical Center have been affiliated since 1989. During this time, the partnership has stabilized health care in the region, while also growing the hospital through the incorporation of telemedicine, new facilities and additional specialties. Mark Twain Medical Center has gone from the brink of bankruptcy to ranking among the top 21 rural hospitals nationally for quality and patient safety. At a time when many rural counties are losing their local hospitals and health care services all together, Dignity Health and Mark Twain Medical Center have ensured ongoing access to care for all those in Calaveras County.

What benefits will Measure A have on local health care? Measure A will allow Calaveras County residents continued access to an acute care hospital with an emergency department. Additionally, it will allow Mark Twain Medical Center to invest in improved facilities, increased medical services and recruitment and retention of doctors and nurses to ensure the delivery of the highest quality of care. Measure A will also allow the hospital to access the best technology to provide timely and accurate access to medical information.

What benefits will Measure A have for the community? Measure A will allow the continuation of Community Benefit contributions, which totaled $15 million in care for low-income residents, seniors and working families in the community last year. Additionally, the renewed affiliation includes a dollar for dollar matching donation of up to $1 million to the Mark Twain Medical Center Foundation from Dignity Health to that of the Mark Twain Health Care District’s.

Will there be opportunity for local input in hospital governance? When Measure A passes, Mark Twain Medical Center will have a five-member Board appointed by Dignity Health with one seat to be a Mark Twain Health Care District board member, as well as a seven-member Hospital Community Board, which will include a majority of Calaveras County residents. This Board would be responsible for medical staff credentialing and privileging, quality oversight and providing strategic guidance to the Mark Twain Medical Center Board of Trustees.

What does the future of Mark Twain Medical Center look like? The passage of Measure A will allow the hospital to move forward with planned expansion in its clinic system. It will also allow the hospital to invest in new technologies and the recruitment and retention of talented health care professionals.

Why has this process taken so long? The Mark Twain Health Care District Board of Directors carefully considered all available options to ensure Calaveras County residents have access to the best possible health care for years to come. After careful evaluation, the Board voted unanimously to recommend to the voters of Calaveras County the new lease with Mark Twain Medical Center and a renewed affiliation with Dignity Health.

What other options were considered? The Mark Twain Health Care District considered other partners as well as the possibility of running the hospital independently. After careful consideration, the District Board determined the affiliation with Dignity Health was in the best interests of Calaveras County residents.

What impact will Measure A have on my taxes? Measure A will not change your local taxes.
Does Measure A have any opposition? There is no formal opposition to Measure A at this time, but we cannot take that for granted and need to continue to educate the community about how Measure A will protect access to health care in Calaveras County, which is something that is important to the entire community.

What is needed to pass Measure A? A simple majority vote is needed to pass Measure A. Absentee ballots will be mailed to voters in early May and the election will conclude on Election Day – June 5th.