With the approval of Measure BB on Nov. 6, the Desert Healthcare District will more than double the size of the community it covers, create two additional board seats, and is in need of rezoning.

Voters overwhelmingly approved Measure BB to expand the District’s boundaries to cover the entire valley, including La Quinta, Indio, Coachella, the remainder of Palm Desert and Indian Wells, and unincorporated communities such as Bermuda Dunes, Thermal, Mecca, Oasis and North Shore.

Since its inception in 1948, the District had included only the valley cities and unincorporated areas west of Cook Street. Reflective of One Coachella Valley, residents in the mid- and eastern valley can now gain access to programs and services that the District funds and supports.

The brings an additional 240,000 people into the District, whose mission is to achieve optimal health at all stages of life for all District residents.

Expansion also requires redrawing the District zones to incorporate two new zones. The process of transitioning from five to seven zones is about to get underway.

The Desert Healthcare District is set to increase from five to seven zones before Election Day 2020.The public is welcome — and encouraged —to contribute to the rezoning process.

When rezoning is completed, there will be a zone for each of the seven seats on the Board of Directors.

National Demographics Corporation (NDC) has drafted two seven-zone maps that will be presented during a public hearing at the District’s April 23 board meeting. They will be a starting point for civic engagement; the board wants to hear from Coachella Valley residents.

Here are the preliminary map options:

The NDC Agave map aims to create compact seats and follow major roads when necessary. It contains three of the seven zones entirely in the new annexation area.

The NDC Yucca map aims to create seats that link different communities together. It also contains three zones entirely in the new annexation area.

Read more of the maps’ descriptions and see them here.

The public hearing on zoning will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23 at Fantasy Springs Casino Special Events Center — Hunal (Badger) Conference Room, 84245 Indio Springs Drive, Indio.

Parking is free.

To RSVP,  contact Andrea S. Hayles at ahayles@dhcd.org. All other questions may be directed to Will Dean, director of communications and marketing, via email at wdean@dhcd.org.

About the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation

The Desert Healthcare District is a local government agency formed in 1948. Its mission is to achieve optimal health at all stages of life for all district residents. The District includes more than 400,000 residents and encompasses the entire Coachella Valley. The District and Desert Healthcare Foundation, together, are one of the largest funders in the valley. These funds are used to assist residents — especially the underserved — in accessing vitally needed resources, such as primary and behavioral healthcare, housing, food and transportation resources.

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  • Desert Healthcare District: Desert Healthcare District