Antelope Valley Healthcare District

By John J. Manning, MD

The purpose Antelope Valley Healthcare District.

Healthcare districts were established by the federal government over 60 years ago in response to the vast numbers of men and women who were being discharged from the military service at the end of World War II. Many such men and women were locating to rural areas and to what today are the suburbs of big cities. Such areas were frequently lacking healthcare facilities and both federal and state monies were allocated to deficient areas to address healthcare needs. One of the required provisions for obtaining government funds was the requirement for a publicly elected Board of Directors.

Antelope Valley Hospital was one of the facilities developed under that program and was completed and opened in 1953. Although originally entitled to received taxpayer funds the hospital voluntarily removed themselves from the tax roles and has nor received any tax funds for over 30 years.

Today the hospital remains committed to providing high quality healthcare to the entire community regardless of ability to pay either through private insurance, medicare or state sponsored programs. In addition the hospital remains under the overall governance of a publicly elected board of directors.

I have never forgotten our origins or our mission.