Ukiah Valley Medical Center To Expand
Ukiah Valley Medical Center, the only hospital that serves the southern half of Mendocino County, plans to build a $3.4 million, 16,000-square-foot outpatient center, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports. Construction of the outpatient center is scheduled to begin in late summer and take between 12 and 15 months, Mark LaRose, CEO and president of the hospital, said. The outpatient center will feature two surgical suites and an admitting room and provide MRI, mammography, ultrasound, X-ray and other laboratory services; the addition of new technology, such as an MRI machine, likely will increase the overall cost of the project, according to the Press Democrat. Hospital officials expect the outpatient center to consolidate outpatient services, ease congestion throughout the hospital and provide faster services, the Press Democrat reports. Ukiah -- the largest hospital in Mendocino County -- last year reported 4,100 inpatient admissions and 91,000 outpatient visits, according to hospital spokesperson Jarrod McNaughton (Wang, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 6/30).
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