MEDICAL FIRM TURNS DOWN OFFER OF FREE LOT A.V. HOSPITAL PLANS TO USE PALMDALE SITE.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A Los Angeles medical company that wants to build a hospital in Palmdale has turned down an offer by Antelope Valley Hospital to give up a lot the hospital owns at 40th Street East and Palmdale Boulevard.

The hospital sent a letter to Prospect Medical Holdings Inc., offering the land for free, but Prospect officials said a site on Palmdale's west side would better serve residents.

``We have carefully reviewed a number of possible locations on which a hospital in Palmdale could be built with our consultants and have concluded that a hospital facility should be located close to what ultimately will be the center of the city, with easy access to the freeway,'' Jacob Terner, Prospect's chief executive officer and chairman, wrote in an April 17 letter.

``Such a site would serve the needs of all the citizens of Palmdale and the adjacent southern communities,'' Terner continued. ``Therefore, we have made a judgment that the interest of the Antelope Valley is best served by building a hospital in the middle of the city rather than on the land located on 40th Street East.''

Antelope Valley Hospital's offer was contained in letters sent about two weeks ago to Prospect and the city of Palmdale. The Palmdale City Council in March approved opening negotiations with Prospect to develop a hospital at Palmdale Boulevard and Fifth Street West.

At its April 12 meeting, the Antelope Valley Hospital board discussed leasing or donating the land the hospital owns to the city of Palmdale and Prospect for a hospital.

It was decided a letter making the offer would be sent to both Prospect and Palmdale, on the condition the hospital provides ``service to all residents of the district, irrespective of their ability to pay,'' a 24-hour emergency department, and obstetric and pediatric services, hospital records state.

Antelope Valley Hospital officials said they were disappointed with Prospect's response.

``I think we made a great offer,'' hospital director Gary Hill said. ``I think the issue is, does Prospect want to provide services to all residents of Palmdale, does it want to provide an emergency room, or does it want a private hospital that just caters to part of the population?''

Hill said Antelope Valley Hospital will move ahead with its own plans to build a hospital at the 40th Street East site.

Construction of a $5.8 million medical clinic is scheduled to begin soon, launching a three-phase plan to build a hospital.

The two-story, 30,000-square-foot clinic is scheduled to be completed in September and will offer primary care and ``emergent'' care services - an around-the-clock facility staffed by emergency room physicians.

The clinic also will offer women's health services and a nutrition program for low-income women.

Palmdale lost its only hospital in March 1996, when Desert Palms Community Hospital closed. Since then, hospital officials and Palmdale city officials have been looking for a way to provide medical services to residents in south Antelope Valley.