[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KERN RIVER VALLEY HEALTHCARE 
                                DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 7, 2018

  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 50th 
Anniversary of the Kern River Valley Healthcare District.
  Nestled in the rolling hills of the southern Sierra Nevada mountain 
range in Kern County, California, the Kern River Valley Healthcare 
District was established in 1967 to serve the towns of Kernville, Lake 
Isabella, Wofford Heights, and many other communities that call the 
Kern River Valley home. Over the years, the District has grown with the 
community it serves, providing care for an area that once numbered in 
the thousands to now playing an integral role in a community with a 
population now in the tens of thousands.
  The Kern Valley Hospital forms the core of the District's services. 
Recognized as a small rural hospital, Kern Valley Hospital offers both 
inpatient and outpatient services, capable of hosting up to 27 patients 
in its Acute Care Unit at a time. The hospital also has a robust 
skilled nursing program, offering classes, activities, and 24-hour care 
for up to 74 patients. To keep at the forefront of a rapidly-developing 
field, the hospital has recently begun offering telemedicine to provide 
its patients the best treatment at the greatest convenience.
  The work accomplished in the District would not be possible without 
the assistance of the Hospital Foundation and Auxiliary, which was 
established shortly after the hospital's inception in 1968. The Pink 
Ladies and Blue Guys of the Auxiliary help make the work of the 
District possible, investing countless volunteer hours as companions to 
hospital residents, as behind-the-counter volunteers at the hospital 
gift shop and the Lake Isabella Thrift Store, and as community 
fundraisers so that the hospital can purchase new equipment to better 
provide for the community it serves. These men and women view each 
other more as family than colleagues, united not out of obligation, but 
out of a genuine love of the hospital, its mission, and the Kern River 
Valley community. Since 2004, the Auxiliary has raised nearly $2 
million for the Kern Valley Hospital, helping and saving countless 
lives.
  I would like to thank District Board Chairman David Derr, along with 
Board Members Kathryn Knight, John Blythe, Barbara Casas, and Charlie 
Busch, as well as the doctors, nurses, staff, and volunteers that have 
made the Kern River Valley Healthcare District the cornerstone of the 
community that it is today. The success and local support enjoyed by 
the District is a testament to its key role in the community, and I 
look forward to seeing the District continue to serve the Kern River 
Valley for many years to come.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me to celebrate 50 
years of service on behalf of the Kern River Valley Healthcare District 
and to wish the District another 50 years of continued success.

                          ____________________