Fallbrook Regional Health District (“District”) is a government entity under the Local Health Care District Law (Statutes 1945, Chapter 932; Health and Safety Code, Division 23, Sections 32000 et seq., of the State of California). The District serves residents of the Bonsall, De Luz, Fallbrook, and Rainbow areas of northern San Diego County.

The Most-Responsive Form of Local Government

Created by residents for residents, Healthcare Districts throughout California provide vital services for the community members who create and oversee them. As the most responsive form of local government, Healthcare Districts are established, operated, and controlled by local voters who understand each community's concerns and ensure that each District is effectively meeting their local health care needs.

Definition of a Healthcare District

Healthcare Districts are public entities that provide community-based health care services to residents throughout the state. They respond to the needs in their District by providing a range of services, which may include a hospital, clinic, skilled nursing facility or emergency medical services; as well as education and wellness programs. Each of California's Healthcare Districts is governed by a locally elected Board of Trustees who are directly accountable to the communities they serve.

How We are Funded

The Fallbrook Regional Health District receives the majority of its funding from the pool of ad valorem taxes collected by the County of San Diego. Ad Valorem is a tax imposed on the basis of value of property. The County levies an ad valorem property tax rate equal to one percent (1%) of the full assessed value. While the calculation of the overall tax per individual home owner will vary the example below illustrates te basic principle.

As an example, a $500,000 home is taxed at a rate of .0073% = $3,600 in taxes, of that $3,600 we receive .00038% or $1.40. 

While different property types have various types of tax assessed on the land and its structures, this illustration has been simplified to demonstrate how much of your tax dollars are generally provided to FRHD.

What Happened to the Fallbrook Hospital?

On April 24, 1950 the residents of the area voted to establish, build and operate the Fallbrook Hospital to be supported by property taxes. The San Diego County Board of Supervisor's approves the creation of the Fallbrook Hospital District, and the District operates the hospital from a small residential property on Main Ave. for 10 years. In 1958, the Fallbrook Hospital District was granted $257,000 in federal and state funds, to pay two-thirds of the cost of a 20 bed hospital. In 1960 the Fallbrook Hospital opened on Elder Street.

After losing money for many years the hospital's future was in jeopardy; such that, the Hospital lost $300,000 between July 1997 & February 1998. In response, in early 1997, the Directors sought to lease the hospital to a larger entity who had more financial stability. By law, the community had to vote on any lease transfer, and in September 1998 a ballot measure passed, with 95% of the votes, to allow Community Health Systems (CHS) to begin operating the Fallbrook Hospital. 

After running the Fallbrook Hospital for nearly 15 years, Community Health Systems reported significant financials losses for several years. A looming seismic retrofit deadline, fewer viable managed care contracts and an overall decrease in services being provided increased the financial pressures on CHS, and in 2015 they issued a notice to terminate their lease with the District. The District submitted several requests for proposals to other healthcare operators seeking a new operating partner. There were no viable applicants, and in 2015, the District closed the hospital.  The District continued to preserve the old hospital building while still seeking service partners that could activate care in the facility. 

In 2017, Crestwood Behavioral Health purchased the hospital property for $4.5 million dollars to create an in-patient behavioral health treatment center. The Fallbrook Healing Center opened in 2019.

For the full history click the file on the side bar listed as From Then To Now.