If your baby was born at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital (often called JFK Memorial Hospital) at 47111 Monroe Street in Indio, in Riverside County, and the delivery was difficult or your child is now showing health or developmental problems, you probably have many questions. This page was written to help you understand them in plain language. It explains what labor and delivery looks like at the hospital, which birth injuries families ask about, what warning signs to watch for, and what steps a family can take.
This guide is for parents, grandparents and caregivers in Indio, Coachella, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Thermal and the rest of the Coachella Valley who want to understand their options. It is general information. It does not say that anything went wrong at this hospital, and many babies who face health challenges after birth received appropriate care. Our purpose is simply to help you ask informed questions and know where to turn for answers.
A birth injury can be a medical event, a legal question, or both. Getting your records, understanding the medical terms and speaking with an independent professional can bring clarity, whatever the answer turns out to be. Beverly Law reviews birth-injury questions from families, and talking with us about your situation does not commit you to anything.
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At a glance: John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital
| Address | 47111 Monroe Street, Indio, CA 92201 |
| County | Riverside County |
| Health system / operator | Tenet Healthcare Corporation (Desert Care Network) |
| Type of hospital | Private for-profit hospital |
| Newborns in 2024 | 1,655 (report to the state, HCAI) |
| Main phone | (760) 775-8016 |
| Hospital website | desertcarenetwork.com/locations/detail/jfk-memorial-hospital |
Sources: HCAI — 2024 Hospital Annual Utilization Report and the hospital’s own website.
Labor and Delivery at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio
John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital is an acute-care hospital in Indio, California, in Riverside County. In its report to the state, the hospital lists Tenet Healthcare Corporation as its parent organization, and it is part of Tenet's Desert Care Network in the Coachella Valley. The state classifies it as an investor-owned corporation, which means it is a private for-profit hospital rather than a county or University of California hospital.
The hospital's own website describes a labor and delivery service and invites expectant families to tour the unit, with tours listed in both English and Spanish. For current visiting rules, tour times and what to bring, call the hospital's main number at (760) 775-8016 or use the Desert Care Network website, since details change.
According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), the newborn nursery cared for 1,655 newborns that year. The same report lists 0 licensed neonatal intensive care (NICU) beds and 0 NICU discharges for 2024. In practical terms, families should ask their care team how a baby who needs a higher level of newborn care would be evaluated and, if needed, transferred. We do not describe any NICU level for this hospital because we could not confirm one from the hospital or a state page.
Birth Injuries Families Ask About After a Difficult Delivery
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is brain injury in a newborn that happens when the brain does not receive enough oxygen or blood flow. Research funded by the National Institutes of Health describes cooling therapy (therapeutic hypothermia), started within the first hours of life for eligible babies at 36 weeks or later, as the main treatment shown to improve outcomes. Babies with HIE may be limp, may have trouble breathing, or may have seizures in the first days. HIE can have many causes, and it is a medical diagnosis, not by itself an explanation of why it happened.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of conditions that affect movement, balance and posture. The CDC explains that CP results from abnormal development of, or damage to, the developing brain, most often before or during birth, and that the cause is frequently unknown. The CDC also notes that lack of oxygen at birth accounts for only a small number of cases. CP is usually recognized over months, as a child misses movement milestones.
Other conditions families ask about include Erb's palsy and other brachial plexus injuries, which affect the nerves that control the shoulder, arm and hand. Medical references list shoulder dystocia and a large baby as associated factors, and most babies recover well, though some have lasting weakness. Families also ask about bleeding in the newborn brain, fractures of the collarbone or skull, and infections such as group B strep. The CDC says group B strep can cause serious illness in newborns, including sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis, and that antibiotics given in labor help prevent the early form.
Mothers can also be hurt during childbirth. Heavy bleeding after delivery (postpartum hemorrhage), infection, tears and complications of a cesarean are among the concerns families raise. Every one of these conditions can happen even when care is excellent. Knowing the term your child's doctors use is the first step toward asking good questions.
Warning Signs in the First Days, Weeks and Months
In the first hours and days, signs that doctors take seriously include weak or no crying, trouble breathing or feeding, a very floppy or very stiff body, seizures (rhythmic jerking, staring spells or lip smacking), unusual sleepiness, a low body temperature or fever, and a baby who is hard to wake. If you see any of these, seek medical care right away and do not wait for a scheduled visit.
In the first weeks, parents sometimes notice that one arm is not moving like the other, that the baby always keeps one hand fisted, that feeding is very difficult, or that the baby does not seem to look at faces or respond to sounds. A swollen area on the collarbone or a limb the baby will not move can point to a fracture or nerve injury.
Over the first months, the CDC lists signs of possible cerebral palsy such as a head that lags when the baby is lifted, a body that feels stiff or floppy, arching of the back and neck, stiff crossing legs, not rolling over, not bringing hands together or to the mouth, and favoring one side. Some children without CP show some of these signs, so the right step is to raise the concern with your pediatrician and keep a written note of what you saw and when.
You know your child best. If something worries you, say so, ask for a referral to a specialist, and ask for the plan in writing. Early evaluation matters for your child's development whether or not a legal question ever arises.
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Who May Be Responsible in a Birth-Injury Claim?
In a birth-injury review, an attorney and an expert look at everyone who took part in the care. That may include the obstetrician, a midwife, the labor and delivery nurses, an anesthesiologist, a neonatal or pediatric physician, and the hospital itself. Whether any of them may be responsible depends entirely on what the records show, and in many cases the review finds nothing to pursue.
One question that confuses many families is who employs the doctor. Some physicians are employees of a hospital. Many others are independent doctors or belong to a separate medical group that has privileges at the hospital, and they bill separately. A hospital may be responsible for its own nurses and staff, while an independent physician and his or her medical group may be responsible for that doctor's decisions. Which rules apply can change who must be notified and what coverage is involved.
Because this hospital is a private for-profit hospital, the special six-month claim process that applies to public hospitals generally does not apply to care here. Families who delivered at a county or university hospital, or who are not sure which kind of hospital they used, should ask early, because those deadlines are very short. Kaiser members have a different arbitration process as well. A review can sort out which rules fit your family.
How an Independent Expert Review of the Delivery Works
A careful review starts with the complete chart, not a summary. The reviewers look at the fetal heart monitoring strips, which record the baby's heart rate and the mother's contractions through labor, and ask whether the tracing and the team's response fit accepted standards. They compare the timeline of decisions against the clock, including when staff were called, and when a cesarean or assisted delivery was chosen.
They also study the baby's condition at birth. The Apgar scores rate a newborn at one and five minutes, umbilical cord blood gas results show oxygen and acid levels at delivery, and the NICU or nursery notes describe what happened in the first hours and days. Brain MRI and other imaging, EEG results and later developmental reports help doctors judge what kind of injury occurred and roughly when.
An independent physician with experience in obstetrics, neonatology or pediatric neurology then explains in plain terms whether the care appears to have met accepted standards, and whether a different course would likely have changed the outcome. This step protects families too, because it replaces guesses with an informed opinion. Many reviews take weeks to months because the records are large.
What You Can Do Now: Step by Step
First, take care of your child's medical needs. Keep all appointments with the pediatrician and specialists, and ask for referrals to neurology, physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy if they are recommended. Second, write down what you remember: dates, who you spoke with, what you were told, and how the labor and delivery went. Keep photos, discharge papers, bills and insurance letters in one folder.
Third, request the records. A parent or guardian can ask for the mother's labor and delivery chart and the baby's chart, including the fetal monitoring strips. The records paragraph on this page explains how to ask this hospital. Fourth, do not delay. California sets strict deadlines for birth-injury cases, and some claims, including parents' own claims and claims involving public hospitals, can have far shorter deadlines than the child's. The legal sections below explain the main ones.
Fifth, talk with a lawyer who reviews birth-injury questions. The conversation costs nothing to start. Sixth, avoid posting details on social media and be careful with insurance adjusters, who may ask for recorded statements. You do not have to decide anything today. You only need enough information to choose your next step.
Support for Your Child While the Case Is Reviewed
Your child's care should not wait for a legal answer. California's Early Start program provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers from birth to age three who have developmental delays or are at risk of one. Services can include physical, occupational and speech therapy, and family support. Families in Riverside County are served by Inland Regional Center, described in the early help paragraph on this page.
Medi-Cal may cover medical care and therapies for eligible children, and California Children's Services (CCS) may help with certain serious or chronic conditions, such as cerebral palsy. Eligibility depends on your family's situation and the diagnosis, so ask the hospital's social worker, your pediatrician or the county CCS office what applies to you.
A strong birth-injury claim, if there is one, looks at the whole picture of a child's future needs, but no one can promise an outcome. In the meantime, local parent support groups and family resource centers can connect you with other families who understand.
Deadlines for a birth-injury case in California
California gives a child’s birth-injury case its own deadline. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 340.5, a minor must sue within three years of the wrongful act, but a child who was under six when it happened has until his or her eighth birthday if that is longer. For a baby hurt during labor or delivery, that usually means the eighth birthday. The clock runs from the act itself, not from the day the family learned what went wrong, and it is paused only in narrow cases of fraud or collusion. Parents’ own claims, and claims against a public hospital, can have much shorter deadlines, so it is safer to get advice early.
Before a medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed in California, the doctor or hospital must get written warning. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 364, the health care provider must receive at least 90 days’ notice of the intention to sue. No special form is required, but the notice must state the legal basis of the claim, the type of loss and the specific injuries suffered. Under § 364(d), if the notice is served within the last 90 days of the filing deadline, the deadline is extended 90 days from the date of service. The notice is a required step, and it is often the moment a case moves from questions to formal action.
What MICRA caps — and what it does not
California’s MICRA law limits one part of a medical malpractice recovery. Under Civil Code § 3333.2, as amended by AB 35, non-economic damages (pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life) are capped. In 2026 the cap is $470,000 for injury and $650,000 for wrongful death, and it rises every January 1 ($40,000 and $50,000 a year until 2033, then 2% a year). Separate caps can apply to doctors, hospitals and unaffiliated providers. Economic damages are not capped: lifetime medical care, therapy, equipment, home modifications and lost earning capacity can be recovered in full, and in a birth-injury case they are usually the largest part of the claim.
How to get the delivery records from JFK Memorial Hospital
California law gives families a right to these records. Under Health and Safety Code § 123110, a patient or the patient’s personal representative — for a baby, a parent or guardian (§ 123105) — may inspect the records within five working days of a written request and is entitled to a paper or electronic copy, which the provider must send within 15 days after receiving a request that says which records are wanted. For a birth-injury review, ask for both charts: the mother’s labor and delivery record, including the fetal heart rate monitoring strips, and the baby’s newborn and NICU record.
To request your own or your baby's records from this hospital, contact the Health Information Management (medical records) office of John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital at 47111 Monroe Street, Indio, CA 92201. Desert Care Network's website has a medical records request page and a downloadable authorization form for this hospital, and the form lists the hospital's records office at (760) 775-8173. Only the patient or the patient's legal representative, such as a parent or guardian for a baby, may sign the release, and photo ID is needed to pick records up. Ask specifically for the full labor and delivery chart, the fetal heart monitoring strips, the newborn nursery records, and any transfer records, for both mother and baby. There may be copying fees, and the hospital's own page may say how long processing usually takes, so confirm by phone.
The hospital’s medical records page →
Where a case from Indio would be filed
A birth-injury lawsuit about care in Indio would usually be filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, in its Civil Division, because the claim is for more than the limited-civil amount. The court's Civil Division notice lists its civil locations, including the Palm Springs Courthouse at 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262, which has historically handled civil cases from the Coachella Valley, and the Historic Courthouse at 4050 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501. The court has been adjusting where some civil cases are filed, so the correct courthouse should be confirmed on the court's website or with the clerk before anything is filed. A lawyer handles this step for you.
Superior Court of California, County of Riverside (Civil Division, Palm Springs Courthouse) → — 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Help for your child now: Early Start in Riverside County
Early Start is California's early intervention program for babies and toddlers from birth to age three who have a developmental delay or are at risk of one. Inland Regional Center, the regional center under the Department of Developmental Services that serves Riverside County, handles Early Start intake for families in Indio and the Coachella Valley. According to the state's regional center listing, you can call its Riverside County Early Start intake line at (909) 890-4763 or email esreferral@inlandrc.org, and the center asks that you call before sending personal health information. A parent, doctor or other caregiver can ask for a free evaluation, and you do not need a legal case or a diagnosis to ask. You can also call the state's Early Start Baby Line at 800-515-BABY (800-515-2229).
Key facts
- John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital is at 47111 Monroe Street in Indio and is owned by Tenet Healthcare Corporation, which makes it a private for-profit hospital.
- According to the hospital's 2024 report to the state (HCAI), its newborn nursery cared for 1,655 babies that year.
- The same 2024 state report lists no licensed NICU beds at this hospital, so ask the care team how a baby needing intensive newborn care would be evaluated.
- California gives a child's birth-injury case its own deadline, but parents' own claims can have shorter ones, so it is safer to get advice early.
- You can ask the hospital's medical records office for the labor and delivery chart and the fetal monitoring strips, and Inland Regional Center can evaluate a baby for Early Start at no cost.
Questions parents ask
Can I file a birth-injury claim against John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital?
Whether a claim exists depends on what the medical records show, not on the injury alone. Many complications happen even with appropriate care. An independent expert review of the chart, fetal monitoring strips and newborn records is how a lawyer decides whether there is a claim worth pursuing. This hospital is a private for-profit hospital.
How long do I have to file a birth-injury case?
California gives a child's birth-injury case its own deadline, which for a baby hurt during labor or delivery usually runs to the eighth birthday. Parents' own claims and claims against public hospitals can have much shorter deadlines, and a written notice to the provider is required before suit. Because these rules are strict, it is safer not to wait.
Is John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital a public hospital?
No. In its report to the state, the hospital is listed as an investor-owned corporation with Tenet Healthcare Corporation as its parent organization. The short six-month claim process for public hospitals generally applies to county and University of California hospitals, not to this one.
What if my doctor did not work for the hospital?
Many obstetricians and other physicians are independent or belong to a separate medical group, even though they deliver babies at a hospital. A hospital may be responsible for its own nurses and staff, and an independent doctor and his or her group may be responsible for that doctor's decisions. A review of the records helps sort out who was involved.
How do I get my fetal monitoring strips from JFK Memorial Hospital?
Contact the hospital's Health Information Management office at 47111 Monroe Street in Indio, use the request page and authorization form on the Desert Care Network website, and ask specifically for the labor and delivery chart and the fetal heart monitoring strips. A parent or guardian can request a baby's records, and California law gives you a right to them.
Does it cost anything to talk to a lawyer about a birth injury?
Talking with Beverly Law about your situation does not cost you anything and does not commit you to a case. We can explain your options, the deadlines that may apply and how a records and expert review works, so you can decide what to do next.
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Other Riverside County hospitals we cover
Rancho Springs Hospital, Murrieta · Riverside Community Hospital · Kaiser Permanente Riverside · RUHS Medical Center · Riverside birth injury lawyers →
John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital Birth Injury Lawyers — Beverly Law
Free case review for families in Indio. We obtain the delivery records, have them reviewed by medical experts and deal with the hospital and its insurer — you focus on your child. You pay no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Cerebral Palsy · Erb’s Palsy / Brachial Plexus Injury · HIE / Oxygen Deprivation at Birth · Statute of Limitations · MICRA Damages Cap · All California hospitals · California birth injury lawyers · Birth injury guides
Sources
- HCAI — 2024 Hospital Annual Utilization Report (final, October 2025)
- Desert Care Network: Labor and Delivery at JFK Memorial Hospital — Hospital's own page showing labor and delivery and tours are offered
- Desert Care Network: Medical Records Release — How to request records from the hospital's Health Information Management office
- CDC: About Cerebral Palsy — Definition, causes and early signs of cerebral palsy
- CDC: Clinical Overview of Group B Strep Disease — Early-onset and late-onset group B strep in newborns and prevention in labor
- NIH/PMC: Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy and Hypothermia Treatment — HIE and cooling therapy for eligible newborns
- NIH/NCBI StatPearls: Erb Palsy — Brachial plexus birth injury, associated factors and recovery
- California Department of Developmental Services: Regional Center Listings — Inland Regional Center serves Riverside County; Early Start intake contact
- California Department of Developmental Services: Early Start — Early Start ages, eligibility and the Early Start Baby Line
- Superior Court of California, County of Riverside: Civil Division notice — Civil Division courthouse locations and addresses
- Code of Civil Procedure § 340.5
- Code of Civil Procedure § 364
- Civil Code § 3333.2 (as amended by AB 35, 2022)
- Health and Safety Code § 123110 (patient access to records)
Beverly Law is an independent law firm. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or speaking for John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital or Tenet Healthcare Corporation (Desert Care Network). Hospital facts on this page come from the public sources listed above.
Important: This page is general information about birth injuries and California law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Beverly Law. Every case is different — talk to a lawyer about your own situation. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. No fees or costs unless we win. Last reviewed: 2026-09-18.