Medical Center in California’s High Desert Plans Vital Expansion
By HCO Staff
CORONA, Calif.—KPC Health has announced its interest in stepping forward to preserve patient care access for California’s high-desert communities, announcing a facility expansion planned at Victor Valley Global Medical Center that is set to commence in 2022.
The facility expansion will commence in 2022 according to Jeff Corless, PIO for KPC Health and will be conducted in phases.
“We expect to announce the timeline and specific plans for the first phase in Q1 of 2022,” Corless remarked. “The goal of these significant investments is to preserve and enhance patient care access for the high desert communities, which is critical given the recent announcement that St. Mary’s Medical Center is closing.”
The expansion effort, he said, will include:
- The long-planned development and buildout of existing spaces and structures
- The addition of full-service acute care beds
- A larger Emergency Room
- Improved surgery areas
- New radiology services
- A new pharmacy
- The addition of other specialty services
The announcement comes as KPC Health plans to expand its facilities at Victor Valley Global Medical Center and create a more fully integrated ecosystem of care for the patients it serves from Victorville to Apple Valley and beyond.
The facility expansion planned at Victor Valley Global Medical Center is set to commence in 2022. The expansion will include the long-planned development and buildout of existing spaces and structures, the addition of full-service acute care beds, a larger Emergency Room, improved surgery areas, new radiology services, a new pharmacy, and other specialty services creating greater access to a more service-rich hospital for the high desert communities.
As it relates to St. Mary’s Medical Center, KPC Health is strongly committed to preserving patient care access in Apple Valley and the high desert through a sustainable model that benefits the community. If necessary, KPC Health would consider facilitating campus improvements, including the completion of all required seismic retrofits by the state’s required deadlines.
“As we come out of an unprecedented pandemic, preserving and expanding health care services for the citizens of the high desert is more important than ever before. Our vision is to create an ecosystem of care for our patients that enables greater local access and reduces the need to travel far distances for specialty services and treatments,” said Kali Chaudhuri, MD, Founder and Chairman of the KPC Health-affiliated hospitals.
“Enhancing the Victor Valley Global Medical Center campus with improved facilities and expanded services, including the KPC Cancer Center, is a great opportunity for the KPC Health system to enhance quality of care for the high desert communities. And working with St. Mary’s Medical Center would be a step further toward preserving patient care access,” said Peter Baronoff, CEO of the KPC Health-affiliated hospitals.
A KPC Health affiliate acquired Victor Valley Global Medical Center in 2012 and successfully met all requirements set forth by the California Attorney General as a part of its approval of the acquisition, bringing an important community asset out of bankruptcy and saving it for the communities it serves throughout Victorville and the high desert area.