Annexation effort is successful

Following the Nov. 19 closure of the protest period for the East Kern Health Care District's proposal to annex a portion of northeast Kern County, including Ridgecrest and the surrounding areas, the EKHCD boundaries now include the service area of Ridgecrest Regional Hospital.

Kern Local Agency Formation Commission Executive Officer Blair Knox reported that only about two dozen protest votes were received. More than 10,000 protest votes were needed to overturn the annexation effort.

Annexation allows for a formal agreement between the healthcare district and our hospital, which could qualify RRH for intergovernmental transfers (IGT). Tom Hayes, acting CEO of RRH, said that because the hospital is a private non-profit hospital, there was previously no pathway for IGT money. 

“We hope a partnership with EKHCD will improve access to healthcare for all of our East Kern communities,” said Hayes. “But RRH is still conducting its due diligence to determine what contractual relationship between our hospital and the healthcare district will allow for sustainable operations and continued access for our population.”

Ridgecrest Regional Hospital approached EKHCD in 2023 to explore the possibility of annexation. LAFCO outlined a process which included community engagement efforts in spring 2024. Following that, a Municipal Services Report was developed to ensure that annexation would serve public interests without creating liabilities for the county. LAFCO voted to approve the annexation request on Sept 17. A public hearing was held in Ridgecrest on Oct. 14. 

With the close of the protest window on Nov. 19, EKHCD and RRH will move forward in developing a mutually beneficial agreement. “Just as we experienced with the long process of annexation, the period of contract negotiations will also take time,” said Hayes. 

With the expansion of the sphere of influence, all registered voters living within the area annexed can also run for a seat on the EKHCD Board of Directors. For information, visit https://www.ekhcd.org.