Officials with Visalia Medical Clinic and Adventist Health celebrate a new partnership. Photo contributed

In an effort to give patients access to additional hospitals and services, Visalia Medical Clinic announced it has entered a partnership with Adventist Health Physicians Network effective May 1. 

“In partnering with Adventist Health, along with their four hospitals and more than 60 medical offices in the Valley, it expands our patients’ access to comprehensive care in Hanford, Tulare and other locations, in addition to Visalia,” said Angela Pap, M.D., Visalia Medical Clinic board chair and president.

The transition includes the Visalia Medical Clinic and sleep lab on West Hillsdale Avenue, the aesthetic center on Avenida de los Robles and the physical rehabilitation center on North Akers Street. According to Pap, VMC providers will continue to contract with the same major health plans and there will be no disruption in care for current patients. 

Adventist Health is also expanding its hospital contracts with health plans to ensure patient access to hospital, surgical and outpatient services in the Valley. Adventist Health is also a multi-state health system, which improves the ability to grow services as needed in the future, according to a news release.

The partnership with Adventist Health will open options for patients in other communities to see the Visalia-based providers, according to Raul Ayala, M.D., ambulatory medical officer for Adventist Health.

 Visalia Medical Clinic has a group of 62 doctors and other providers.

“We’re thrilled that Visalia Medical Clinic is joining our network of physicians,” said Gurvinder Kaur, M.D., chief medical officer for Adventist Health hospitals in Hanford, Reedley, Selma and Tulare. “These physicians and providers are known for their excellent, compassionate care, and we’re honored to serve with them.”

In addition to four Central Valley hospitals — Hanford, Selma, Reedley and Tulare — and other services, Adventist Health also operates hospitals in Bakersfield, Delano and 14 other California cities in addition to Oregon and Hawaii.

In 1998, the Adventist Health acquired the Selma hospital and began leasing the Reedley hospital in 2011 and Tulare hospital in 2018. The Hanford hospital opened in 1965 and later moved to a new medical center in 2010. Other expansions have included the addition of two family medicine residencies, multiple medical offices in five Valley counties, a breast care center and a digestive health center.

Under a partnership with Valley Children’s Healthcare, Adventist also provide primary and complex care for children at its Fowler clinic that opened in 2019.