CAMARILLO : Court Won’t Hear Case Against Merger

The state Court of Appeal refused Monday to consider delaying the merger of Pleasant Valley Hospital with an Oxnard medical center, clearing the way for the deal to close as scheduled on Feb. 18.

The Camarillo Health Care District had appealed to the 2nd Appellate District court to review a Ventura County Superior Court judge’s decision last week not to delay the consolidation of the Camarillo hospital with St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.

Health district board member Gary Norris said he was disappointed by the state court’s refusal to hear the case but he had known they faced an uphill battle in court.

The district’s argument for delaying the merger until the court could conduct a full review was based on its contention that St. John’s will eventually convert Pleasant Valley to a rehabilitation center or another non-hospital facility.

“The question of proving to the court that closure of the hospital was likely to occur was always a tough call,” he said.

St. John’s has agreed to keep the hospital open until at least the end of 1997.

Norris said board members will consider tonight whether to appeal to the state Supreme Court to delay the merger.

Barring such a court-ordered delay, he said, he expects the merger to proceed.

The health care district board also may ask a court to condemn Pleasant Valley Hospital, allowing the health care district to purchase and run the 180-bed medical center.

But Norris said condemnation proceedings would take too long to block the hospitals’ consolidation.

The health care district has spent well over $50,000 on legal costs so far in attempting to block the merger, he said.