CLEARLAKE ? The official name changing of Redbud Community Hospital to St. Helena Hospital ? Clearlake was celebrated Monday. Changing of the name is meant to better reflect the hospital”s joint operating partnership with St. Helena Hospital in Napa County.
St. Helena hospitals operate under affiliation with Adventist Health Care Systems, which is a not-for-profit, faith-based health system. The facility in Clearlake was purchased by Adventist Health in 1997 and has since worked toward expanding and improving access to health care to residents of Lake County.
According to hospital management, reaction within the community has been positive. “The name change has been accepted well so far. I”ve talked to people in the community and there has been a lot of positive reaction,” Linda Gibson, St. Helena Hospital – Clearlake senior vice president of operations said. “It really shows that we are working together (with St. Helena Hospital) to provide seamless access to care.”
Hospital staff is accepting the change as well. “The name change has got to be a good thing,” said Pat Van Horn, who has worked for the facility for the past 32 years. “Change is always hard but I think this change is going to be good.”
Fran Thomas, who is looking at 29 years in laboratory services with the hospital this March, said she hopes the name change will improve hospital”s image. “I”m hoping this name change will be positive. We really want to change the image of the hospital that people have gathered over the years,” she said. “Change is good.”
According to Gibson, the name change was the next logical step in the hospitals” regionalization efforts. It symbolizes local health care providers” commitment to providing the same quality care that has come to be expected from St. Helena Hospital.
Gibson reported that efforts to regionalize services began two years ago and has resulted in the alignment of the facilities” governing board, executive team, operations and many regional positions.
Gibson”s goal is to make St. Helena Hospital ? Clearlake the number one critical access hospital in the United States, which she says takes investment and a will to make it happen.
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.
