Ventura County Supervisor Kelly Long

August 19, 2026
Ventura County, CA. – Dear Neighbors, I know many of you have seen the recent news regarding the future of Santa Paula Hospital and may have questions or concerns about what this means for healthcare in the Santa Clara River Valley.
I want to reassure you about one important point: Santa Paula Hospital remains open and will continue serving our community through 2030. There is no immediate closure of our hospital.
The County has been planning for the future because the existing Santa Paula Hospital building will no longer meet California’s seismic requirements for acute-care hospital licensing after 2030. This is a building and infrastructure issue, not a decision that our community does not need local healthcare.
The recent discussion by the Board of Supervisors is focused on determining the best way to continue providing high-quality, accessible healthcare to residents throughout the Santa Clara River Valley after 2030. The board unanimously voted for the County to evaluate an expanded care center model that would provide important medical services closer to home while being financially and operationally sustainable for the future.
Our community’s healthcare needs must remain at the center of this process.
As your County Supervisor, I will continue advocating for Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru and the entire Santa Clara River Valley. I understand how important it is to have healthcare close to home, particularly for seniors, families, agricultural workers and residents who may have difficulty traveling outside the Valley for care.
We also need to make sure our emergency medical system remains strong. Santa Paula Hospital currently serves an important role in our local emergency medical system, and Ventura County EMS has continued to recognize the hospital as a receiving hospital standby emergency department for appropriate patients.
The goal is not simply to replace a building. The goal is to build the right healthcare system for our Valley’s future.
As this process proceeds, I will continue asking those questions and pushing for transparency and meaningful community input as these plans move forward.
I want the residents of the Santa Clara River Valley to know that I am listening, I understand the concerns, and I will continue fighting for healthcare that is accessible, reliable and responsive to the needs of our community.
Santa Paula Hospital is here today, and our commitment to healthcare in the Santa Clara River Valley must continue well into the future.
Thank you for allowing me to represent you. Sincerely,
KELLY LONG,
3rd District Supervisor County of Ventura