Why we need Ventura County Medical Center A pillar in our community’s health system For 126 years, our public hospital has been serving Ventura County resident. Today, nearly one quarter of our County residents receive seamless care from Ventura County Medical Center as it collaborates patient care and service with Santa Paula Hospital, the affiliated clinics, Behavioral Health and Public Health services. From primary care for children, to emergency care for adults, Ventura County Medical Center has become the pillar of this community’s health system. As a teaching hospital, it boasts Ventura County Medical Residency Program and in September 2015 has been deemed the #1 Family Medical Residence Program in the nation by Doximity and US World News & Report. The Residency Program trains an overwhelming number of local physicians and nurses and is proudly affiliated with University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Ventura County Medical Center operates the busiest emergency department in the region, and the only Level 2 Trauma Center is West County that boasts verification from the College of Surgeons. As costs rise and public dollars decline, Ventura County Medical Center has to do more with less. In fact, over the past 10 years, the patient demand for Ventura County Health Care Agency services has doubled, all the while undergoing nearly a decade of year-after-year budget cuts. In that time, Ventura County Medical Center has gone through great lengths to realize efficiencies, reduce waste, innovate, and find ways to serve more people with less money. Now, Ventura County Medical Center has a Foundation that may raise money exclusively to bridge the gap between meeting the standard to achieving medical excellence. This medical excellence will always be rendered regardless of the ability to pay. Our job is to keep it that way.