California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of December 11, 2009
Huntington Hospital, Pasadena
An $80 million expansion project on Hunting Hospital's emergency department is expected to add 22,000 square feet and 32 more beds to the unit when it is completed in 2012, the Pasadena Star-News reports.
The expansion project includes a new four-story building, which will be located next to the existing ED. When the new and existing EDs are connected, the expanded ED will be capable of providing care to 80,000 to 90,000 patients annually (Lee, Pasadena Star-News, 12/4).
Kindred Hospital, Modesto
On Dec. 2, administrators of Kindred Hospital in Modesto announced that the closure of the hospital is tentatively scheduled for the end of January 2010, pending state approval, the Modesto Bee reports.
Officials at Kindred Healthcare, the hospital's parent company in Kentucky, said that efforts to sell the facility had failed.
Kindred Healthcare said that the staff will soon meet with patients and their families to arrange the selection and relocation to new care facilities (Carlson, Modesto Bee, 12/3).
Northern California Rehabilitation Hospital, Redding
Northern California Rehabilitation Hospital recently completed a $1 million remodel that adds 12 licensed beds to the facility's transitional care ward, bringing the total bed count to 88, the Redding Record Searchlight reports (Benda, Redding Record Searchlight, 12/5).
Oakland Behavioral Health Clinic
The Oakland Behavioral Health Clinic held a grand opening for its new treatment facility, the Contra Costa Times reports.
The clinic opened in October and recently enlarged its homeless outreach program, which aids veterans in finding transitional and permanent housing, in addition to improving its services for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (Harwood, Contra Costa Times, 12/4).
Simi Valley Hospital
On Dec. 3, Simi Valley Hospital officials unveiled a 7,000 square-foot addition to the facility including a main lobby and two waiting rooms at an event honoring donors, the Ventura County Star reports.
The addition is scheduled to open for use on Dec. 21 (Kisken, Ventura County Star, 12/4).
Veterans Affairs Hospital, Fresno
In 2010, the Fresno VA hospital will install a new solar-power system as part of a growing effort by government agencies to implement more environmentally-friendly energy systems, the Fresno Bee reports.
The Fresno facility is one of six VA hospitals in the Western U.S. that will be outfitted with solar power systems.
Officials said the move to solar power at the facilities is projected to save the hospitals more than $175,000 annually in energy costs (Sheehan, Fresno Bee, 12/8).
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