Kaiser Permanente is excited to announce that beginning on October 1, 2021, Eisenhower Medical Center will be a Kaiser Permanente Affiliated Hospital in Coachella Valley. This means that members will go to Eisenhower Medical Center for inpatient hospital care, labor and delivery, and specialty surgical services.
We are pleased to provide members access to Eisenhower Medical Center, in large part because many have told us they would prefer Eisenhower Medical Center to be an ‘In Network’ hospital where they can choose to receive care. Members have also expressed interest in the new state-of-the-art Family Birth Center and Level II NICU at Eisenhower Medical Center, which offers 24/7 labor and delivery services, specialized newborn care and access to neonatologists, pediatricians, and other specialists. This October, Kaiser Permanente members will be able to welcome their new babies into the world in these beautiful new surroundings that have been carefully evaluated for quality of care, comfort, and services.
Preparing for the future
Part of planning for future growth and keeping health care affordable for our members and communities is revisiting contractual relationships. Although Eisenhower Medical Center will be designated as a Kaiser Permanente Affiliated Hospital on October 1, we attempted to negotiate with Tenet Healthcare for continued contractual relationships in the Coachella Valley. The parties have been unable to reach agreement, therefore, Hi-Desert Medical Center will no longer have a contract with Kaiser Permanente after August 30, and Desert Regional Medical Center and JFK Memorial Hospital will no longer have a contract with Kaiser Permanente after September 30. As always, if members think they are experiencing an emergency, they should still go to the nearest emergency room or call 9-1-1.
The health care team you know and trust
Kaiser Permanente members will receive more information in the mail about the newest additions to our network and should rest assured that:
- In most cases, members will keep the same primary care physicians and specialists.
- Kaiser Permanente doctors help coordinate your care before, during, and after your time in the hospital, regardless of which hospital provides care.
- Our network in the Coachella Valley Area is ready to address the health care needs of our members.
- In fact, more physician specialists have been added to our network in Coachella Valley thanks to the addition of Eisenhower Medical Center to our network.
- Members will continue to have access to all covered medically necessary health care services.
- No additional costs are anticipated as a result of these changes. Kaiser Permanente is committed to providing our members in the Coachella Valley continued access to affordable, high quality inpatient care.
