Healthcare District Board awards $1M+ grant to DAP Health
The Desert Healthcare District and Foundation Board awarded a grant of more than $1 million dollars to DAP Health.
Officials said the $1,025,778 grant awarded to DAP Health helps ensure the practice of accessible healthcare for thousands of patients. DAP Health is currently securing the acquisition of Borrego Health and the funding will help fill necessary revenue gaps during its first year of operation as clinics merge.
Check Out: Bankruptcy court approves DAP Heath’s bid to acquire Borrego Health
In September 2022, Borrego Health filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, after years of legal troubles including Medicare fraud led by FBI investigations. The Borrego Health Board of Trustees elected DAP Health to purchase its health clinics in Riverside and San Diego counties in February, which was later approved by bankruptcy court in March 2023.
"The Board's decision to support DAP's expansion is a significantly beneficial move for the 39,000 Coachella Valley residents who currently use Borrego Health services," states Desert Healthcare District and Foundation CEO Conrado Bárzaga. "It allows them to access care with many of the physicians they already have relationships with and the medical staff they depend upon."
Along with patient transfers, approximately 600 Borrego Health staff and clinicians are expected to transfer to DAP Health as well. Transfer begins on July 1 and will undergo a 6-month process to achieve the staffing needed. DAP has around 300 employees.
The grant reportedly aligns well with new plans for the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation. Their next step involves expanding community access to primary and specialty care services by increasing the amount of clinics and programs in the Coachella Valley.
DAP Health, based in Palm Springs, was established in 1984 in response of HIV/AIDS cases in the valley.
"It’s great that DAP is stepping up," says Director Les Zendle, M.D., of the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation Board. "It would be a tremendous hardship to the Coachella Valley if the patients that went to Borrego were left out in the storm. We have a role as the Desert Healthcare District to help.”
Learn more grant opportunities through the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation here.
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The author of this article is a local student whose internship is funded through a grant from the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation. The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation is a nonprofit that identifies needs in the local journalism ecosystem and seeks out grants and donations from individuals to bridge those gaps. The CVJF is a 501(c)3 organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Learn more at www.cvjf.org.
