Voters in the Tri-City Healthcare District are on track to overwhelmingly approve Measure H in the June 2 election, clearing the way for a long-term partnership between Tri-City Medical Center and Sharp HealthCare.
According to unofficial results posted by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters at 6 p.m. June 4, Measure H was passing with 70,467 votes, or 92.15%, compared with 6,005 votes, or 7.85%, against the measure. The results were reported as ballots continued to be tallied from mail-in deliveries and designated vote centers.
Voter turnout rates as of June 4 largely ranged from 20% to 40% in the communities voting for the measure, according to a Registrar of Voters map. A few precincts in areas of Vista showed participation as low as 8% to 15%, while other precincts in the city, Oceanside and Carlsbad saw turnout levels of 40% to 45%. In some precincts bordering Oceanside and Carlsbad, turnout reached 60% to 75%.
Measure H asked voters whether the Tri-City Healthcare District should be authorized to enter into an affiliation and lease agreement with Sharp HealthCare for the operation of Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside. The measure required a simple majority to pass.
The proposal was placed on the ballot after votes by the Tri-City Healthcare District Board of Directors in late 2025 and early 2026 to pursue a partnership with Sharp and call a special election on the matter, according to information from Tri-City and Sharp. Under state law, voter approval was required before the agreement could take effect.
Supporters argued the partnership would help secure the future of the hospital, which serves Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista and surrounding communities. According to district information provided to voters, the agreement would allow Sharp to invest more than $100 million in facility repairs, seismic improvements, equipment upgrades and expanded medical services. The district also said the measure would not create a new tax.
Ballot language stated the partnership was intended to improve medical and emergency health care services, upgrade technology and equipment, and expand access to treatments at Tri-City Medical Center without additional taxpayer costs.
Sharp HealthCare said that, pending certification of the election, it expects to assume operations of the hospital July 1 under a 30-year agreement. The facility would be renamed Sharp Tri-City Medical Center.
Sharp has also said it plans to restore labor and delivery services and expand cancer care while maintaining existing patient services during the transition. Insurance coverage for Tri-City would also change over to Sharp on July 1.
Sharp HealthCare issued a statement following the early returns outlining its plans for the partnership.
“This partnership will expand access to high-quality primary and specialty care, enhance the patient experience, and support long-term financial stability for both organizations,” the statement read. “At Tri-City, Sharp aims to strengthen medical services — restoring labor and delivery within the next several months and enhancing cancer care — while investing more than $100 million in infrastructure improvements and seismic upgrades.”
Election results remain unofficial until certified by the Registrar of Voters.
The agreement with Sharp follows an earlier attempt at a similar partnership between Tri-City and UC San Diego Health. The pursuit of that deal ended in July 2024.
This report was partially written using artificial intelligence, then updated, edited and fact-checked against source material by North Coast Current staff. View our AI policy on the About Us page.
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