WATSONVILLE >> One of the many projects Watsonville Community Hospital sought to fund through Measure N, a $116 million general obligation bond approved last year by voters in the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, was an upgrade to the hospital’s imaging systems, including X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging and commuted topography scans.

To help move these upgrades closer to fruition, the hospital has recruited a team of radiologists led by Keith Kwok of the Manteca-based company Radiology Diagnostic Services Inc., also known as RADS Inc. The physician-owned private company works with hospitals throughout Northern California and specializes in services such as body imaging, neuroradiology, musculoskeletal imaging, nuclear medicine, emergency radiology, mammography and vascular/interventional radiology. Its team of radiologists is certified by the American Board of Radiology.

“We believe medical decisions are best made by doctors, not corporate executives,” the company states on its website. “Our commitment is to our patients, referring physicians, and hospital partners.”

Kwok, who will be leading the new team of radiologists, graduated magna cum laude in biochemistry from the University of Washington and received his medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., according to a hospital news release. He completed his general surgery internship at UC Davis Medical Center and a radiology residency at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey, and following a neuroradiology fellowship at Los Angeles General Medical Center, he joined Radiology Diagnostic Services in 2013. His research has been published in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, the official journal of the National Stroke Association, and was a co-author of the “Textbook of Neuro-oncology.”

“Radiology plays a vital role in nearly every area of patient care, from emergency medicine to heart disease,” Stephen Gray, CEO of Watsonville Community Hospital, said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with RADS, Inc. and to welcome Dr. Kwok as our new Medical Director. Their expertise will be essential as we expand our imaging capabilities with support from Measure N funding in the year ahead. Their commitment to clinical excellence and patient-centered care aligns strongly with our mission.”

Measure N was approved in the March 2024 primary election by voters in the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, which was created through Senate Bill 418 to help the hospital emerge out of bankruptcy. Through the measure, property owners in the district — which spans from Aptos to Las Lomas in Monterey County — will pay $24 per $100,000 of assessed property for 30 years or until the bond is paid off, all to finance projects to modernize the hospital.

The projects include an expansion and remodel of the emergency room, repairs or replacements of the deteriorating plumbing systems; modernized bathrooms; repairs or replacement of roofs; renovations or replacements of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; and the formation of an independent citizens oversight committee. One of the biggest projects was to buy back the hospital building from Medical Properties Trust, a real estate trust based out of Alabama that the hospital was paying $3 million to per year for lease and insurance payments. This acquisition was completed last fall.