CLEARLAKE — Redbud Community Hospital is in for a change in its name. An inauguration ceremony is being planned for Monday, Nov. 3 to rename the facility “St. Helena Hospital ? Clearlake.”
The change in the name is meant to better reflect the hospital”s joint operating partnership with St. Helena Hospital in Napa County. Both hospitals are Adventist Health facilities, which is a not-for-profit, faith-based health system comprised of 19 hospitals in four states.
Redbud Community Hospital was bought by Adventist Health in 1997 with an obligation to maintain and operate it as an acute care hospital including basic emergency and perinatal services. Since being bought by Adventist Health, the hospital has seen many improvements and additions including a new rural health clinic and medical offices in the south county.
“The name change is really meant to convey to the people of Lake County that we are transplanting the same great culture of excellence that has been the hallmark of St. Helena Hospital for many years,” Linda Gibson, Redbud senior vice president of operations, said. “But, it”s not just about a name change. It”s about a real investment in this campus. Because of our relationship with St. Helena we are investing approximately $10 million in new and upgraded facilities, some of which will be able to be seen from the road and others from inside the hospital.”
The name change supports Redbud and St. Helena hospitals” ongoing efforts to regionalize health care services. The process reportedly began more than two years ago as the two hospitals aligned their governing board, executive team, operations and many regional positions.
“The name change is the next logical step in our regionalization,” Gibson said. “We want to demonstrate to the community that we are committed to providing the same quality of care that people have come to expect from St. Helena Hospital.”
According to Gibson, along with additions to its facilities, Redbud has also made additions to its staff. “We”ve brought in a number of new staff members to focus on quality of care,” she said. “There is just tremendous commitment here in terms of the high quality care we are delivering to the residents here in Lake County.”
Gibson said she has a goal for the hospital to become the best critical access hospital in the United States. “That takes investment, which we are doing and it takes a will to make it happen,” she said, adding that she”s confident she has the support of a staff capable of realizing that dream.
According to a press release issued recently, St. Helena Hospital ? Clearlake is investing approximately $10 million in new and upgraded facilities in Lake County including an emergency department expansion, remodeled surgery suites, a sophisticated electronic medical records system, a new hospital front entrance, new equipment and a new family health center in Kelseyville.
The press release further states in addition to being the second largest employer in Lake County, the hospital provided the following services in 2007: 76,000 rural health clinic visits, 57,000 outpatient visits, 15,000 emergency department visits and 1,600 in-patient visits.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
