FAQ

Measure H seeks voter authorization to allow Tri-City Healthcare District, the operator of Tri-City Medical Center, and Sharp HealthCare to enter into a 30-year partnership and lease agreement to improve LOCAL ACCESS to high-quality emergency medical and health care services in North County.

Tri-City Healthcare District is the locally-controlled public hospital district governed by a locally-elected 7-member Board of Directors, and the operator of Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside. Tri-City provides full-service emergency medical and acute health care services to local residents, with more than 500 physicians practicing in over 60 specialty areas. Learn more about Tri-City here.

Sharp HealthCare is a not-for-profit integrated health care system that operates four acute-care hospitals and five specialty hospitals. Sharp has three affiliated medical groups, a health plan, and medical offices throughout San Diego County.  Learn more at https://www.sharp.com/about

For more on the proposed partnership click here. 

The election for Measure H will appear on the June 2, 2026, local ballot. Ballots for this election will be mailed by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters around the week of May 5th.

Anyone registered to vote within the Tri-City Healthcare District will be eligible to vote on Measure H. The District’s boundaries primarily cover the communities of Oceanside, Carlsbad and Vista, plus a few small areas adjacent to those communities in Northern San Diego County. All registered voters will receive a ballot in the mail to vote in this election shortly after ballots mail around the week of May 5th.

The 75-word Ballot Question summarizing Measure H, reads as follows:

“In order to improve medical and emergency healthcare services, and the quality of patient care, upgrade medical technologies, and equipment, and expand access to medical treatments at Tri-City Medical Center (at no additional cost to taxpayers), shall Tri-City Healthcare District enter into an affiliation and lease agreement with the nonprofit corporation operated by Sharp HealthCare for the operation of Tri-City Medical Center in accordance with Resolution No. 829 of the District’s Board of Directors?”

No, this proposal is not a tax. There is NO taxing authority associated with Measure H.

Since 1961, local residents of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista and nearby areas have relied on Tri-City Medical Center for life-saving, emergency medical and comprehensive health care services. However, recent health care industry changes have forced hospitals to adapt. Joining this trend, the locally-elected 7-member Tri-City Healthcare District Board of Directors voted unanimously last December to pursue a partnership with Sharp HealthCare. They knew that a private, world class provider with significant health care expertise could operate Tri-City Medical Center better and more efficiently than local government.

Adding to the Board of Directors’ sense of urgency is the fact that hospitals throughout the nation are in distress. One in 5 California hospitals are at risk of closure, and 71% have unsustainable margins. While Tri-City is making progress toward its turnaround goals, the Board of Directors views their role through the lens of long-term sustainability, not short term variability. Being part of Sharp’s integrated health care system will position Tri-City for future success in an increasingly challenging health care industry landscape.

Passage of Measure H will:

• Facilitate replacement of aging equipment with the latest advanced medical technologies
• Enable Sharp to invest $100+ million to repair and upgrade Tri-City Medical Center facilities
• Increase the quality and variety of health care treatments offered locally in North County
• Restore previously eliminated health care services like Maternity care
• Attract and retain high-quality Tri-City Medical Center doctors, nurses and medical specialists

NO. Pending voter approval of Measure H, Sharp will operate Tri-City Medical Center through a 30-year lease. This arrangement is similar to Sharp’s long-term partnership with the Grossmont Healthcare District to operate Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Since that affiliation began in 1991, Sharp Grossmont has grown to become one of the largest providers of comprehensive health care services in San Diego County. The latest example of this is the Sharp Grossmont Hospital for Neuroscience, which opened in 2025 as the first center of its kind in the county for advanced neurosurgical, neurological and orthopedic-spine care.

If voters approve Measure H, in addition to assuming the operating responsibility of Tri-City Medical Center, Sharp would also assume the District’s liabilities and debt, along with financial commitments toward service line development, growth, infrastructure, deferred maintenance and capital projects.

This proposed health care partnership makes good financial sense for Tri-City and our community. Sharp has been a great partner to other San Diego County hospitals, including Sharp Grossmont Hospital, investing more than $1 billion to repair aging hospital facilities and improve local access to medical services and specialties. Passage of Measure H will enable Sharp to invest $100+ million to repair and upgrade Tri-City Medical Center hospital facilities. Upgrading and expanding our local health care facilities, programs and services will help contribute to the high quality of life and protect local property values in North County.

Without voter approval, continuing the status quo at Tri-City Medical Center will lead to continued and increasing uncertainty and instability. This will impact the District’s ability to provide vital emergency medical and acute health care services to the North County community, forcing local residents to drive farther to address their critical health care and medical emergency needs.

Sharp’s expansion into North County will allow Sharp to operate on a broader scale and improve efficiencies while maintaining high-quality, coordinated, and person-centered care.

Pending voter approval, we anticipate the partnership will take effect on July 1, 2026, after County officials certify the election results.

Partnering with Tri-City means that Sharp patients will have even greater access to high-quality, coordinated primary and specialty care near where they live and work. And in emergency situations — where every minute counts — North County residents can feel confident knowing they will be cared for in a state-of-the-art emergency room staffed by a highly trained team of caregivers employing the latest in medicine.

YES. Pending passage of Measure H, Tri-City Medical Center will still be a community hospital, dedicated to serving North County residents and their communities.

No one knows when a medical emergency will strike. In the event of an accident, medical emergency or natural disaster such as a massive wildfire or earthquake, first responders may bring patients (including Kaiser members) to Tri-City Medical Center to stabilize them before transporting them to another facility.

The list of supporters is growing every day. Local doctors, nurses, EMTs, firefighters, former patients, senior citizens, civic and business leaders, health advocates, veterans and community members are among the sea of supporters urging a YES VOTE on Measure H. Why? Because Measure H will significantly improve LOCAL ACCESS to high-quality health care for North County residents and communities.

Measure H requires voter authorization for this simple reason: in 1997, the State Legislature passed legislation requiring local voter approval for transactions like this involving the lease and transfer of 50% or more of the assets of a public entity (in this case, Tri-City Healthcare District).  Note that pending voter approval of Measure H, Tri-City Medical Center will still be a community hospital, dedicated to serving North County residents and their communities.