WHEREAS, Health care districts are public entities that provide community-based health care services to residents throughout the state; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts were created after World War II to address a shortage of access to acute hospital care for many areas of the state, particularly the rural areas of California; and

WHEREAS, The first health care district was formed in 1946 and the first district hospital opened in 1947. Today, there are 78 health care districts in California, and 40 health care districts currently operate 43 district hospitals. Their primary mission has not changed, which is to provide health care services to the communities that created them; and

WHEREAS, District hospitals account for 27 of the state’s rural hospitals and 20 of the state’s critical access hospitals; and

WHEREAS, District hospitals provided $54 million in charity care in 2012, and offered financial support to community programs focused on the health and well-being of the children and adults living in the health care districts; and

WHEREAS, Fifty health care districts operate in either a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a medically underserved population area; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts collectively provide a wide range of services, which include acute care, emergency care, skilled nursing and long-term care, community and rural health clinics, ambulance services, adult day care, senior housing and nutritional support, chronic disease management, health education, medical transportation, home health, and hospice; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts cover 49,354 square miles, provide services in 40 counties, employ over 32,000 employees, and handle more than 4,000,000 patient visits annually; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts are formed by the will of the people, with board members locally elected and accountable to their communities. The health care districts are often supported in part by local tax dollars in order to improve community health; and

WHEREAS, Health care districts serve as an integral part of the “safety net” for the state’s underinsured and uninsured residents. In 2012, health care districts treated just over one million Medi-Cal beneficiaries, which represents 10 percent of the statewide total of Medi-Cal beneficiaries; and

WHEREAS, Each health care district is uniquely focused on the specific needs of the community it serves. Health care districts utilize varying revenue streams, workforce sizes, services offered, and geographic locations to cater to the health services most needed by their communities; now, therefore, be it