Dignity Health | hello Healthy | Fall 2018

2 DignityHealth.org/Bakersfield | Fall 2018 Mercy Hospital Southwest is breaking ground on a multimillion-dollar expansion that is set to bring an unparalleled level of care to the area. Dignity Health plans to build a four- story addition on the eastern end of the Mercy Southwest campus at Stockdale Highway and Old River Road. Mercy Hospital President and CEO Bruce Peters says the expansion project is expected to close the gap between Bakersfield’s sprawling west side and demand for advanced health care services. “This project is transformational for the Mercy Southwest campus,” Peters says. “Mercy Southwest is the only hospital west of Highway 99, and with all the expansion in the northwest and southwest, we need more beds to take care of all the people in these communities.” More treatment options The new tower will allow the hospital to expand existing services, such as women’s health, orthopedics, and oncology, as well as add new ones, such as cardiology. Right now the hospital has just 82 beds; the new tower will add 106 beds, including 24 new intensive care beds and 18 neonatal intensive care beds. The number of operating rooms will double, from 5 to 10. There will also be an expanded emergency room and new cardiac catheterization labs. “Cardiac intervention services are one of the things the community has asked for at Mercy Southwest,” says Peters. “We are pleased to be able to add this new service line to the hospital.” The better to serve you Along with adding new treatment options, the hospital plans to hire new physicians, specialists, nurses, and other clinical and nonclinical staff, creating hundreds of new, permanent jobs. “We believe the addition of new specialists and physicians will make a big impact in patient care over the next few years,” says Peters. Dignity Health hopes to break ground on the project sometime in summer 2019 after plans are approved by the state. Fundraising efforts through The Friends of Mercy Foundation are already underway to help offset the $250 million price tag. “Once the expansion is complete, we will be able to accommodate a greater number of patients in a facility that is closest to their homes,” says Peters. “We are very much looking forward to being able to better serve the needs of this growing community.” Four stories of success “Once the expansion is complete, we will be able to accommodate a greater number of patients in a facility that is closest to their homes,” says Peters. “We are very much looking forward to being able to better serve the needs of this growing community.” Mercy Hospital Southwest tower expansion project