Having already recruited nearly 50 physicians to the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin, Desert Care Network plans to continue to develop and add even more healthcare professionals through their residency programs.
Providing increased access to care with additional physicians in our community is a priority for Michele Finney, CEO of the Tenet Healthcare-owned network that includes Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio, and Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree. “We want people to be able to go to their local facility and secure the services they need, and not have to drive miles for basic care,” Michele Finney states. “We work to coordinate both the inpatient and the out-patient facilities to accomplish that objective. It is something we’ve really been focused on and that we will continue to focus on in the years to come.”
During the past few years, Desert Care Network has opened three urgent cares centers, while locations in Indio and Cathedral City are in the works. “We’re making sure that we have the physician reach so that when patients need to establish a primary care or a specialty physician relationship, those individuals are accessible in their local communities,” Finney says.
“While the Coachella Valley continues to have a physician shortage, attracting new doctors is easier after a site visit,” says Finney. “Once they have spent some time here, they start to fall in love with the valley,” she says. “It is surprising to many that it’s quite affordable compared to Orange County or Los Angeles.”
What is Desert Care Network?
• Desert Regional Medical Center, Hi-Desert Medical Center, JFK Memorial Hospital
• 28,274 inpatient admissions
• Three urgent care centers
• Two skilled nursing facilities
• Two outpatient surgery centers
• Two outpatient imaging centers
• 12 hospital-based outpatient centers
• 10 Primary & Specialty Care Clinics
• 3,000 employees
• $351 million in salaries, wages & benefits
• $5.7 million in property and sales taxes paid to support local infrastructure
• $3 million pledged to support Desert AIDS Project and other local charities
• READ NEXT: Read more about our Visionaries Class of 2019.
VIDEO: Michele Finney speaks about Desert Care Network's role in the valley's healthcare picture.