Healdsburg District Hospital (HDH) welcomes Emerson Valdez, D.P.M., as the first physician to be hired as an employee rather than an independent contractor.  Dr. Valdez’s new position was made possible by Assembly Bill AB 2024, which was made law as of January 1, 2017.

The measure was introduced by Assemblyman Jim Wood, a Healdsburg resident, who recognized the needs of California’s rural hospitals and the difficulty in their ability to compete with larger metropolitan hospitals for physicians.  The bill is considered a pilot program for Critical Access Hospitals. HDH is one of only 34 Critical Access Hospitals in California.

The cost associated with opening a rural practice can be overwhelming to a new physician grappling with student loans. The ability to be hired allows some guarantee of income while the physician builds their patient base. According to Wood, “Most young physicians would prefer to be employed by a hospital rather than go into a private practice.”

Prior to AB 2024, physicians were not allowed to be hired as employees. This stemmed from practices by mining companies in the late 1800s to hire company physicians, which questioned the ability for the physician to be forthright with the employee patient.  The new law only pertains to rural critical access hospitals and is subject to future review by the California Assembly.

“Having Dr. Valdez come on board is a significant event for our hospital and the communities we serve,” said Nancy Schmid, CEO of HDH.  “We become much stronger in our ability to attract physicians who want to work in a different environment than what larger hospitals offer.  I am certain Dr. Valdez will quickly appreciate the opportunity to do great things in a smaller hospital.”

Dr. Valdez received his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from New York College of Podiatric Medicine.  He was Chief Resident at Wycoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, where he became a Wound Care Fellow working with the hospital’s Hyperbaric Oxygen and Wound Care Center.

Photo: Healdsburg District Hospital CEO, Nancy Schmid and Assemblyman Jim Wood