Hospital ER to close Nov. 17; to become urgent care

Local residents experiencing a health crisis after midnight Monday, Nov. 17 need to consider their options carefully since Fallbrook Hospital’s traditional emergency room will no longer exist. From Nov. 18 until at least Dec. 20, an urgent care center (open seven days per week, 24 hours) will be operated by the hospital to allow time for the JPA between Fallbrook Healthcare District, Tri-City Medical Center, and Palomar Health to get its own urgent care in place.

“We agreed that we would maintain an urgent care for a month to allow time for the [JPA] transition,” said Fallbrook Hospital CEO Ka...