April 27, 2007

Twin Cities Community Hospital Dedicates New Patient Tower

$60 million tower adds 30 beds to the hospital and expand emergency services

Officials from Twin Cities Community Hospital and its parent company, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, today dedicated a new three-story, $60 million tower that adds 30 more patient beds to the hospital in a ceremony attended by state and local government representatives and community leaders, as well as hospital physicians, nurses, administrators, staff and governing board members.

“Today marks an important milestone for Twin Cities Community Hospital and the residents of northern San Luis Obispo County,” said Richard Lyons, the hospital’s chief executive officer.  “The new patient tower adds a third more beds, and continues our mission to provide our patients with the best possible medical treatments available.  After five years of careful planning, we are excited to finally unveil the new tower and share it with the community.”

At 62,255 square feet in size, the new tower adds 30 beds to the existing 84-bed hospital.  It houses a new emergency room on the ground floor, a critical care unit on the second-floor and an obstetrics unit on the top floor. 

The tower is equipped with advanced medical technology to support the latest in clinical care, including:

• An entire floor specifically designed for obstetrics care, including three labor, delivery and recovery rooms; 10 private postpartum rooms, one cesarean room and a high-security nursery;
• A new fetal monitor system with bedside touch-screen capabilities allowing for monitoring up to 11 labor patients simultaneously;• A new, 13,300 square feet emergency room, which is more than five times the size of the previous emergency room;.
• The second-floor critical care unit features large, all-private rooms that include touch-screen monitors at each bedside, which are capable of simultaneously monitoring 14 different vital signs.
• Negative pressure Isolation Suites for treatment of infectious patients
• PACS monitors providing digital radiology image storage and retrieval• Dedicated elevators programmed to regulate access by staff and visitors for security and improved efficiency.

The new tower is expected to open and begin serving patients in July.

Twin Cities Community Hospital is the only hospital serving the northern part of San Luis Obispo County, and the closest to Camp Roberts Military Base.  During the 30 years since the hospital was formed through the merger of War Memorial Hospital in Paso Robles and Atascadero General Hospital, the number of North County residents and visitors who turn to the hospital for care has consistently grown to approximately 80,000 visits per year. 

The area served by the hospital is the fastest growing part of the county, and the new tower will expand the emergency services and enhanced medical care Twin Cities Community Hospital provides to Templeton and the surrounding areas.

“The completion of this new tower brings a much-needed expansion of services to Twin Cities Community Hospital and enhances our ability to continue providing quality care for all of our patients,” said Lyons. “The dedication of the tower is the perfect capstone to celebrate our 30th anniversary year.”