But the health center’s landlord, John Ramos, appealed city staff’s approval of the move shortly thereafter. And so began the controversy.
Ramos challenged the move, saying the city’s zoning laws did not permit a primary care medical facility at the business park. The Patterson Planning Commission denied Ramos’ appeal in February, so Ramos appealed to the City Council.
The debate became fully enflamed during a marathon council meeting in April. Ramos and his attorney argued the move shouldn’t be allowed based on the zoning, while health district officials and board members said the move was necessary to provide quality health care in Patterson. In May, a divided council voted to grant Ramos’ appeal.
Convinced that the council was aligned with Ramos, a group of Patterson residents — including former mayoral candidates Kathy Wright and Luis Molina — joined with the heads of the business park and the health care district in September to submit a ballot initiative that would amend the city’s zoning laws to allow the health center to make its move.
The initiative received an outpouring of support from much of the public but backlash from some council members, who thought the district was going over their heads by opting for an initiative instead of applying for a zoning amendment.
Things heated up further in October, when City Attorney George Logan released his title and summary of the initiative. Logan said the initiative focused more on benefiting Keystone than expanding health care, and he titled it “The Keystone Development Amendment Act” instead of the proponent-suggested title of “The City of Patterson Healthcare Expansion Act.”
The council took Logan’s views to heart in November, when — in a rare unanimous vote on the subject — it approved taking the initiative to court to test its validity and its constitutionality.
That decision was followed by the revelation that, because of the lengthy process that precedes the council deciding whether to adopt the initiative or send it to a ballot, the earliest the vote could take place would be the June elections, which would come after the expiration of the health center’s current lease on March 31.
Only then, amid claims that the health center could be forced to shut its doors if a speedier solution was not reached, did the two sides sit down and begin talking to each other.
As the year’s end approached, there were signs that an agreement might be reached, one that would outline terms so the zoning law could be amended to make the health center an allowed use in the business park.
Details of that agreement, if there ultimately is one, have not yet been made public. But those on both sides have expressed optimism that a solution might be reached and relief that, at last, there appears to be some genuine progress.
No, I do not have Kaiser- the biggest rip-off, highest price plan around.
I don't argue that there could be better care in Patterson. I just would never again go to anyone in Patterson.
My main point was that who cares about this whole argument thing about the healthcare center moving to Keystone? This is just some civil battle between the landlord and the tenant. Who the hell cares??? It keeps being the big news of the paper.
Guess when there is nothing to talk about in Patterson it becomes big news.
Even Ron Swift had to be resurrected from the dead to attempt to bring life back into the Irritator. BTW, when is he gonna realize that he is an OLD geezer and he should have gray hair and not dyed hair?
What you need to do when you consider the local medical care is the type of services provided. If you are looking for primary care, preventative care, or at times, urgent care, the services provided by any of the local doctors are exactly the services that are needed. If you are looking for emergency services, then no, at this time, those aren't readily available on the West Side.
When you say that your 'doctor' wasn't allowed in the door of the hospital, was there a reason? Was it a doctor, or was it a nurse practitioner or physicians assistant? That would make a world of difference.
Many of the facilities here on the West Side have both NP's and PA's providing services along side the physicians.
If you belong to certain insurances (Kaiser for example), you will most likely have to go out of town for services. This issues comes down to the coverage of the individual, not the services provided by the local physicians.
The services offered by quite a few of the Patterson medical (health, dental and vision) are quite good. I am not talking about the emergent/urgent care which isn't here, I am talking about primary and preventative and SOME urgent care. Yes, there are some practitioners that aren't that good here on the West Side, but you will find that in every community.
I know that there are medical providers (health, dental, and vision) that I would trust not only in providing me my medical care, but that of my family and friends.
Could the services provided to us on the West Side be better? Of course. But, the same could be said for Turlock, Modesto and every other city.
It just comes down to what you want versus what you need. Understand that, and the whole picture comes in to view.
If you want medical care you have to go to Turlock or Modesto where REAL doctors practice.
I went to one of the 'doctors' here in Patterson once. Later I needed to go into the hospital and this doctor wasn't allowed in the door of the hospital because he didn't have hospital priviledges.
The ONLY thing that is convenient is that there is a Quest Lab here so blood tests can be done without leaving town. I would't trust my life, teeth, eyes, you name it to any Patterson medical facility.