Ground Breaking Ceremony
If you missed our Ground Breaking Ceremony, here is a recap from our President and CEO, Jonathon Andrus.
Thank you for your support – we are humbled. Thank you to Ann and all of the visionaries who understood 30 years ago how important a new hospital would be for our community. This has allowed us to navigate many recent challenges and future challenges facing California hospitals.
The construction of a new hospital has provided a solid foundation for our organization as we work to ensure local access to services. We have continued to build on this foundation over the past twenty years.
From 2004 – 2024, $53 million dollars in facility expansion and upgrades. Highlights include:
- ED Lobby – 2008
- FMC Clinic Expansion – 2011
- CT MRI Purchasing Building – 2016
- SVRHC – 2018
- Pharmacy Expansion – 2021
- Hospital Lobby and Registration Area Remodel – 2023
I want to thank the hospital team for working so hard in recent years to expand local access to care.
The reason we are here this morning is for the groundbreaking of the largest and most significant project since the new hospital was built.
This hospital expansion project includes a new two story 25,000 sq ft building. A new emergency department will be located on the first floor. A new laboratory will be located on the second floor. The new building will give us much-needed additional capacity in both the emergency department and laboratory. This new building will be the first of several projects included in the expansion. Once we occupy the new building, we will begin renovating the old department.
The old ED space will be used to accommodate three patient care services including pulmonary rehabilitation, medication administration and our chronic pain management service.
Concurrently, our team will be working on an expansion of our surgical services department. This will be possible due to the relocation of the laboratory to the new building.
Finally, the relocation of our information technology department to the new building, from the clinic and the medication administration service to the old ED space, will allow for an expansion of much needed clinical space within Fairchild Medical Clinic.
We feel that the proposed scope and impact of this project will allow us to build the capacity necessary to continue to care for our community for many years to come.
While this expansion project will have a positive impact on departments across the hospital, I want to reflect for a moment on emergency services.
Emergency services across the country have long been recognized as the safety net of the US health system and are one of the few health care settings in which care is provided regardless of an individual’s ability to pay, largely due to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) mandate.
As we all well know, the ED is the main location where patients seek acute unscheduled medical care and care for time sensitive conditions.
I have been reminded in recent days of the importance and value of our emergency services to the community. Each of the examples that I will share are actual events that have happened within the past two weeks at our facility.
Life threatening time sensitive emergent care/trauma/stroke/heart attack.
For stroke patients, “time is brain.” Achieving Primary Stroke Center certification ensures that we give fast, effective assessment and treatment. A female patient presented with new onsite of right sided weakness, she was assessed and given the appropriate clot busting medication within one hour. In two days, all deficits were resolved, and she was released home with preventative education and the ability to return to regular life.
In addition, the hospital has the ability to stabilize patients who require a higher level of care and has a relationship with larger hospitals who will accept those patients for further treatment. A recent car accident sent multiple victims to the emergency department. Our surgeons were able to perform lifesaving surgery before sending them to a larger facility for follow up.
Frontline response to public health emergencies/disaster situation.
Recent law enforcement exposure to unknown chemicals caused our outside tent and decontamination tub to be employed. Following the decontamination procedure, each of the officers was medically treated. While effective, a permanent decontamination unit will be included in the new ED, allowing faster, safer and more effective response.
Safety net access – Caring for uninsured or underinsured members of our community
The Emergency Department is the last hope and often, the only option to access care for many patients. Through lack of insurance or social factors that hinder them finding a regular healthcare provider, they come to the Emergency department, which is here 24/7 for care. Many of our patients are homeless. I witnessed one such patient this past week enter our lobby alone and then have a medical episode in the lobby. She was promptly treated in the department. Before they are discharged from the ED, they are given a meal, weather appropriate clothing and offered assistance to establish care with a clinic provider and/or referral to a service to assist with housing or food.
As we reflect on these three recent examples of the value of emergent care….I would argue that there is no more important investment that you or I can make than to assure that our community has access to emergent care.
Long list of thank you’s:
- Hospital Board, Medical Staff and hospital management and staff
- Foundation Board and members
- Our Project team
- Richard Kasa and Joseph Otoole from Kasa Healthcare Management
- Mike Madden and Mike Baker
- Kelly Maves and the entire team from Kelly Architecture
- James and Mike Seegert and the Modern Construction team
- Richard Tannehill and the entire team from the states facilities division
- The City of Yreka, Mayor Baker
- Law enforcement partners
- Mt. Shasta Ambulance and all of the first responders, John Poland and the Sierra Sacramento EMS Agency
- All of our community partners and donor partners in improving the health of the community.
- Foundation Executive Director – Claire Anstead
This important project will build on the well-established foundation and mission of Fairchild Medical Center. The new space will strengthen access to care in our community for many years to come. These services, including emergent care, are invaluable to all of us who call North Siskiyou County home.
Thank you again for your support of this project and our organization.
