Flooded with patients, Santa Maria hospital plans major ER expansion
Dignity Health is undergoing a fundraising campaign to expand its emergency services department at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria to add 10 more patient rooms, including specific rooms for trauma and pediatric patients.
The 32-bed emergency department sees the highest number of trauma patients in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, according to the hospital’s website.
It has had “record patient volume growth since the new hospital opened in 2012,” with an average of more than 6,000 patients monthly, or 72,000 emergency department visits each year. Dignity Health rebuilt its hospital in Santa Maria in 2012 in response to growing population in the Santa Maria Valley.
The expansion would increase the department’s footprint by 3,360 square feet and add 10 rooms, including three listed as trauma-specific rooms and six pediatric rooms.
The Marian Foundation is in the process of raising $2.5 million for the expansion project.
The health care provider chain is also expanding emergency services at French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande Community Hospital.
Submit news and notes items for Biz Buzz. Email: bizbuzz@thetribunenews.com; on Twitter @SLOBizBuzz; phone: 805-781-7902; fax: 805-781-7905; mail: Biz Buzz, The Tribune, P.O. Box 112, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-0112.
This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Flooded with patients, Santa Maria hospital plans major ER expansion."