The number of patients visiting Riverside Countys safety-net hospital and its network of 10 clinics dropped about 11 percent after the Affordable Care Act kicked into full gear Jan. 1.

County officials believe people who previously relied on Riverside County Regional Medical Center for health care are exploring other options, and they hope theyll come back once they see the quality of care the Moreno Valley hospital provides.

In an email, county spokesman Ray Smith wrote that patient numbers have stabilized. Even with a severe December flu season behind us (meaning higher patient loads), the hospital is beginning to see an uptick in our volumes as some patients return and new patients come in, he wrote.

Still, the drop is bad news for the county hospital, which is struggling to make ends meet. The medical center has been projected to end the fiscal year June 30 with a $36 million shortfall.

If the hospital cant sustain itself, the county Board of Supervisors will be forced to make up the difference. That could mean less money for other needs, including new jail beds to prevent the early release of inmates.

The board already has taken steps to fix the hospitals finances. The management team was replaced and an interim CEO was brought in at a cost of $46,000 a month. Lowell Johnsons specialty is turning around troubled hospitals.

In addition, supervisors approved a contract worth up to $26 million last November with Huron Healthcare, a Chicago-based health care consulting firm. Huron experts are at the hospital exploring ways to raise revenue and cut costs.

About 9.3 million people nationwide have gotten health insurance since Sept. 2013, according to a report from the RAND Corp. In California, officials report 3.3 million now have private insurance or Medi-Cal, a state/federal insurance program for the poor.

The county hospital has traditionally been the only place indigent residents could go for treatment; patients are seen regardless of ability to pay. But that will change, senior county staff said, with Obamacare giving coverage to the previously uninsured.

To ensure the hospital continues to bring in patients and revenue, officials have said it needs to compete for health care dollars. Part of the strategy is to forge agreements with private insurers to steer their policy-holders to the hospital.

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HEALTH CARE: Fewer people seek treatment through Riverside County