The emergency room at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard closes today for at least 16 days in a plan that gained state approval at the eleventh hour.

The OK Tuesday afternoon from the California Department of Public Health means that beginning at 7 a.m., people who come to the emergency room on their own will find the ER closed. They will be given maps and directions to other hospitals. Ambulances will take people from Oxnard and Port Hueneme to those same hospitals, which have geared up with additional nurses and doctors.

"I feel we're going to able to weather it well. I think we're as prepared as any hospital can be," said Gary Wilde, CEO of Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, one of several facilities that expects more patients. "Emergency is an unpredictable thing. As I've said before, we could have a train wreck and all bets are off."

Shutting down the ER is part of St. John's now-approved plan to close the entire hospital Aug. 14 to fumigate with chlorine dioxide for mold. The hospital still needs a separate approval from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation for the fumigation. A spokesman for that agency said last week it's unlikely the approval will come in time for the hospital to fumigate on Aug. 17, as currently planned.

St. John's officials have said they hope to reopen the ER and the rest of the hospital on Aug. 24 but a delay in the fumigation approval could mean a longer closure.

The Oxnard hospital's emergency room is the busiest in Ventura County, with more than 45,000 people treated last year. Officials say during August the hospital ER would likely see about 100 patients a day.

Other hospitals prepare

Hospitals that expect to see more ER activity include Community Memorial, St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo, Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura and Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. All have dedicated more staff and space. The county hospital, for example, is opening four rooms to care for and discharge emergency patients with less serious problems.

Ambulance companies also have boosted their staff and will put more vehicles on the road, said Barry Fisher, administrator for Ventura County Emergency Medical Services. A plan has been devised to determine where ambulances that pick up patients in different parts of Oxnard will head.

"It will certainly take longer than it currently does today," he said of ambulance deliveries from Oxnard. "How much longer, I'll have a better idea when actual transports are made."

Urgent care centers could also see more patients. "We're not worried about it, not at all," said Joseph Focil, administrator of FocilMed, a family and urgent care center in downtown Oxnard. "We actually welcome the opportunity. It's a good test for us and a challenge."

Getting the word out

But the closure plan has generated concern since it was rumored several months ago. Much of the anxiety revolves around whether people will get the care they need.

Ana Del Rio-Barba, who works with the Hermandad Mexicana advocacy and community center in Oxnard, worries about the closure, but she hasn't heard that many people talk about it. That adds to her concern.

"Tell you the truth, I don't even think the people know," she said.

St. John's has helped distribute about 150,000 fliers about the closure; has run English and Spanish-language advertising in newspapers, radio and television; and reached out to legions of community and church groups. Workers with cell phones will staff information booths outside the hospital to help those who don't know about the closure.

ER patients admitted at St. John's before 7 a.m. today will be treated at the hospital.

The approval of the St. John's closure plan from the state Department of Public Health came less than a day before the ER was scheduled to shut down. St. John's spokeswoman Rita O'Connor said she wasn't aware of any specific problems or concerns that caused delays.

"I don't believe there's any fault," she said, noting the hospital and the state worked "cooperatively through the process."

Reactions from Oxnard residents range from fear about not having a local emergency room to frustration over the approval process. Mike Velasquez, who works at a music store in downtown Oxnard, is reassured knowing that other hospitals and ambulance providers are working to cover the gap the closure creates. But the real test is yet to come, he said.

"I'll let you know when I'm sick."