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Description

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Mission
We exist to enhance the physical and mental health of all residents of the District from conception to final passing

Vision Statement
The Alta Healthcare District is dedicated to the health and wellbeing of the individuals and communities of Northern Tulare County This vision shall be carried out through emphasizing the following values

Stewardship ndash We will lead and follow as stewards of our District caring responsibly for our community assets We will work together to achieve the greatest longterm benefit for the community as a whole

Boundary Crossing and Collaboration We are willing to cross political social ethnic and economic boundaries and partner with others to achieve positive outcomes for the District We will lead throughout the District to create an inclusive cohesive community through partnership and collaboration

Commitment to Outcomes ndash We are willing to take responsibility for tasks and achieving specified outcomes We are committed to staying involved until the tasks are completed

ldquoArt of the Possiblerdquo Thinking ndash We believe that anything is possible in the District We will envision success without limitations and then backward map a specific attainable strategy for achieving that vision

FactBased Decision Making ndash To the greatest extent possible we will base decisions and action plans on objective data thereby avoiding distortion of issues by personal feelings or agendas At the same time we seek to get to the heart of the matter and recognize that facts without content can be misleading

Truth Telling ndash We value the empowerment of everyone involved along with all community stakeholders to honestly and forthrightly share all knowledge experiences and insights relative to the work at hand We take responsibility for ensuring our truth is current not historical We all share the responsibility for maintaining the truth telling standard

Power Parity ndash We respect all persons and recognize that there are diverse viewpoints Positional power will not determine a strategy or preferred outcome merit will Viewpoints from diverse constituencies will be proactively sought to ensure the best possible outcomes for the community

Commitment to Resolving Conflict Conflict is inevitable and is sometimes required in order to achieve the best outcomes possible Healthy conflict involves valuing every individual regardless of his or her stance on a specific issue and an unwavering commitment to working through the conflict in a positive manner despite its severity

AssetBased Approach ndash We are focused on using a strengthsbased assetoriented approach to people and issues We believe that positive change occurs when we appreciate value and invest in what is best in our people and community

Conflict of Interest ndash We agree to disclose any personal or professional conflict of interest that may affect our objectivity before engaging in work that will impact the District We seek to avoid even the appearance of impropriety

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History

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Californiarsquos healthcare districts are public entities organized to meet the needs of local communities throughout the state Originally organized after World War II to bring hospital and healthcare resources to growing communities throughout California healthcare districts are as relevant today as there were during 1950rsquos and 1960rsquos the greatest period of district expansion

Districts respond to the specialized health needs of California communities Voters created 79 Healthcare Districts to fulfill local health care needs Of these 54 serve the statersquos rural areas Healthcare Districts provide access to essential health services and are directly accountable at the community level As a result tens of millions of Californians have been able to access care that would otherwise be out of reach

These districts are serving parts of 40 California counties Approximately half of them run hospitals The rest like this District provide a variety of other health services to their communities The District continues to look for opportunities to better serve its constituencies

On October 1 1946 our District was first formed as the Alta Local Hospital District It was one of the first hospital districts in the state to provide hospital services to underserved and mostly rural areas in California

The District served the communities and outlying areas of Dinuba Sultana CutlerOrosi and New London from 1946 to 2002 staffed with employees who were committed to the wellbeing of the residents of the area Alta Hospital started with a medicalsurgical unit and a very busy obstetrics unit So many of our current district residents claim Alta District Hospital as their place of birth The addition of an emergency department with three rooms which included a wellequipped trauma room was a huge asset for the District

As many former members of the nursing staff will attest their work at a small rural 54 bed hospital required attending to many duties The experience meant that each person learned a wide range of skills to meet the constant needs of patients Never boring one moment could find you attending to patients in the ER and then running to the medsurgery floor to attend a cardiac patient then running to the obstetrics unit to assist in the delivery a new life into the world The work was so challenging and at the same time so fulfilling

It was a great training ground for all involved Needless to say working at the hospital meant that a nurse was well equipped to work at any large hospital pretty much anywhere after working at Alta District Hospital

The District opened a skilled nursing facility in 1994 This was an intensive rehab unit with an estimated length of stay of 21 days or less for hip fractures stroke victims and various illnesses Many many residents were able to return back to their homes due to the extended stay and intense rehabilitation provided from this unit It was not an easy unit to open at a rural hospital in the early 90rsquos In fact Alta was the first rural hospital to open such a facility and it was very successful and beneficial to many area residents

Because of the loyal and welltrained medical staff the District was able to attract specialists to our hospital We opened a four bed ICU where we cared for critically ill patients many on ventilators