California”s budget crisis has had serious impacts on the many local nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to support the health of the people of Lake and Mendocino Counties. For over six weeks, our State has gone without a budget. While many local individuals and agencies had to face the stress of uncertainty, our legislature took its summer holiday. We are glad they are back at work.
During this crisis, Mendocino Community Health Clinic (MCHC), a local, nonprofit healthcare organization, has continued to provide health services to almost 13,000 Medi-Cal patients in Lake and Mendocino Counties. We have done so while facing the challenge of meeting payroll, purchasing medical supplies and paying utilities without the Medi-Cal reimbursement we rely on to sustain operations.
If we were forced to face this crisis alone, MCHC would have to make cuts in patient care services, lay off key staff and, perhaps, temporarily close our doors. Such actions would force our patients to seek more costly care elsewhere ? such as our already-burdened hospital emergency rooms. However, the community-mindedness of Savings Bank of Mendocino County helped us swiftly meet our most urgent cash requirements by extending us a $1 million line of credit.
Most banks avoid risk by shrinking from involvement with nonprofits such as ours. Thank you for being our partner during these difficult times, and for your broad vision of how a local financial institution can leave a lasting legacy by helping its communities thrive.
Lin Hunter, CEO
Mendocino Community Health Clinic
