A state agency is holding public hearings this week on a proposal to allow a hospital mega-merger which includes five facilities on the Central and South Coasts.
Dignity Health is planning to merge with Catholic Health Initiatives.
Dignity has more than three dozen hospitals. They include St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo, Marion Regional Medical Center’s facilities in Santa Maria and Arroyo Grande, and French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo.
Catholic Health Initiatives has more than 100 hospitals in its network. Approval of the merger would create the largest non-profit hospital network in the nation.
The State Attorney General’s Office is hosting three local meetings on the proposal. There’s one at 10 a.m. Thursday, at Ludwick Community Center in San Luis Obispo. The second is at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Santa Maria. The third is at 1 p.m. Friday at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center.
