Your Involvement In DPHCD

Irrigator Series Part 2 of 5 on Del Puerto Health Care District - Aug 1, 2024

(The original Patterson Irrigator article can be found here)

By: Timothy Benefield, Sr.

I’m glad you have joined me for Part 3 in our series of five articles about the Del Puerto Health Care District! If you have missed either of the first two articles, they can be found at the Patterson Irrigator website (www.ttownmedia.com). The first column focused on the simple question, “What is a Special District?” The following week, our discussion was entitled, “A Brief History of the Del Puerto Health Care District.” This week, I am going to lay out some reasons for being involved in the DPHCD and, also, some ways that you can participate in this special district that is committed to meeting your health care needs.

First, WHY should you want to be involved in the DPHCD? I believe that there are three good reasons to encourage any citizen of Patterson to become aware of the activities at the DPHCD.

• The DPHCD is governed by a board of local residents who are elected by the community. It is always a sound practice to know who represents you in elected positions and be aware of what decisions they are making on your behalf. “Local residents own special districts and govern them through locally elected or appointed board members.” (www.dphealth.org)
• The DPHCD operates partially on tax revenue received from property taxes from within the district. Your tax dollars are being spent to build local health care infrastructure and to provide local health care services. Any time that you can know where your hard-earned money is being spent, it can bring a sense of satisfaction. If you don’t agree with how it is being spent, you will want to know that as well so that you can share your thoughts with the board member who represents you.
• Your voice can help the district understand the distinct needs facing our particular community. The DPHCD is aggressively moving forward to identify the specific health care needs of the district and to expand services to meet those needs. You can also help the district determine the important issues that should be addressed as top priorities. Are you hoping to see a specific medical issue considered? Are there certain services that you would like to see added or expanded? Do you have an idea to strengthen health care services in the Patterson area? The door is wide open for the public to weigh in on current health care development in our district.

Second, HOW can you be involved in the DPHCD? Let me present to you several avenues of involvement in the district.

• Take the time to answer surveys that are occasionally sent out by the district. The board of directors, the CEO, and the management staff of DPHCD thoroughly review the results of these surveys to see what is on the hearts and minds of those that we are serving. There will be one sent out in the near future. The time and effort that you spend answering that survey will help us establish priorities and direct resources for a health care district that meets the need of your family in the best possible manner.
• Follow the various entities of the DPHCD on social media.  Patterson District Ambulance, Del Puerto Health Center, and Del Puerto Health Care District all have Facebook pages. This is a great way to be aware of any changes or announcements about the district that may affect you.
• Communicate with your elected board member. There are five zones in the district. The goal is to have a board member representing each of those zones. If your district does not currently have a member on the board, you are always welcome to communicate with any of the other board members regarding your concerns and ideas. Contact information can be found for the board members, the CEO, and members of the staff at our DPHCD website (www.dphealth.org)
• Attend the public meetings of the board. On the last Monday of each month (excluding May and December), there is a public meeting of the Board of Directors that is held at the Del Puerto Health Center. This meeting is held at 6:00 pm, and there is always a time for public comments. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to share any comments or suggestions that you may have. You can also hear the ongoing issues that the board is addressing. Agendas for these meetings are always posted at the DPHCD website.
• Consider running for a director position on the board. The only qualifications required to be on the board is that you must be a registered voter who lives in the zone that you want to represent. You can go to the DPHCD website to find more information about which zone you live in and which zones are currently taking candidates to run for election. It is important that you know that the deadline to file to run is Friday, August 9, 2024, if you want to be part of the election that will be held Tuesday, November 5, 2024. You will need to file for candidacy at the office of the Stanislaus Country Registrar of Voters in Modesto. If you are interested in filing for candidacy for the Board of Directors of the Del Puerto Health Care District, you can call (209)525-5237 for more information.

There are certainly plenty of reasons to be involved in the DPHCD and even more opportunities to participate! Our CEO, Karin Freese, and our current Board of Directors is eager for our community to be connected and involved with the DPHCD. Together we can build the strongest district for the healthiest Patterson!