Vo Medical to open new facilities in Brawley, El Centro; confirms rumors of possible ECRMC buy-out

IMPERIAL VALLEY – Amidst financial turmoil in other local health care facilities, Vo Medical Center is expanding.

Dr. Tien Tan Vo and company will be moving to a larger facility in Brawley, from its current located at 409 W. Main Street – where it has operated since October 2021 – to a larger facility which is located at 290 W. Main Street in Brawley. The old Union Bank area is situated between local eateries and the Jack in the Box restaurant on Main Street.

"Technically the new one will be a Rural Health Clinic; we'll become like El Centro Regional Medical Center or Pioneer's, a rural health clinic, so we can see patients with limited or no health insurance," Dr. Vo said in an interview with IVP on Wednesday, January 25, "but we will focus on patients with Medi-Cal or Medicare rather than PPO."

Vo said the larger rural Health Clinic facility will be an "A-G comprehensive center" which will include services such as ultrasounds, x-rays, lab work including blood withdraws "and other tests to help patients."

The new Brawley facility is a 10,000 square foot building, Vo said.

"The service is going to be the same doctors, the same staff … you come in and you'll see the investment from Vo Medical … brand new," he said.

Vo said the "rural health" designation could open Vo Medical up for grant opportunities "to do more services for the people."

"In the future we can apply for pre- and post-natal care, those services will come next," Vo said. "We want to expand like Clinica de Salud."

"It's more accessible to more people in our population, that's our goal," he said. "We'll be open five days a week and anyone can come in anytime they want while we're open, no problem. We'll try to help them as much as we can."

In addition, Dr. Vo said he hopes the Vo Medical Center currently still under construction in El Centro – which is purported to be a 'one stop shop' for medical needs via the various upcoming services in the 32,000 square foot building, located at 1699 N. Imperial Avenue – will be completed with construction by the October 2023.

When asked about the timing of these expansions as related to the current climate within the El Centro Regional and Pioneers Memorial hospitals, Vo said "in Vo Medical we have a big duty in El Centro … especially right now with patients panicking, but I think Vo Medical they can rely on."

Dr. Vo confirmed the recent rumors that Vo Medical is looking to 'buy-out' ECRMC, but he said he is looking for purchasing partners because he "can't do it alone."

"Yes, I'm looking at buying ECRMC but I need a partner first," he said. "I'm working with a Capital Lending member and I am meeting with group of doctors – like 15 of us – coming together, and they advised me to go to the meeting this Saturday at IVC with the County Supervisors and the two hospitals to have a plan for the future of health care in the Imperial Valley."

"I have good plans to talk about but I plan everything before I act, that's why I work quietly," Vo said. "If you have no money you can't talk much with a lot of debt. Saving doesn't mean cutting and that's not our goal, cutting means we lose services and laborers. Our staff has a job to do and services to provide. We don't want to violate our ethics and values," he said.

The ribbon cutting for the new location of the Vo Medical Center in Brawley will be held on Wednesday, February 1, with a free community luncheon in partnership with Brawley Feed the Need from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m., according to an event flyer and press release. The event will also have a Lunar New Year theme, Vo said, which will include music, a Chinese Lion Dance and "Red Envelope" giveaways, in addition to the free food. The event is open to the public, "especially the homeless and the disadvantaged," according to the press release.

"At the Brawley Clinic we welcome everyone to come and get treated the right way," Dr. Vo said. "It doesn't matter how rich, how poor or whatever insurance (you have), we take care of you."

"The bottom line is you come, we serve you," he said.

The "Future of Healthcare in Imperial County" roundtable discussion event will be held on Saturday, January 28, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Main Lecture Hall of Imperial Valley College in Imperial.