San Joaquin Community Hospital
Encyclopedia
San Joaquin Community Hospital is a 255-bed facility located in Bakersfield
and serving Kern County, California
. It is part of Adventist Health
.
Miss Quinn, the businesswoman of the two, acquired a $6,000 donation from her family in the east and convinced two area businesses to co-sign a loan with her and Miss O’Donnel. Mr. Sol Mack, manager of the Bank of Bakersfield, co-signed for $5,000 and Mr. J. A. Huges, owner of the Huges Drug Store, co-signed for $2,500. Ms. Cora St. Clair also co-signed for an amount of $2,500. A quarter block site on 27th and Eye St. was purchased. Here a three-story building that would house 26 patients was constructed and named San Joaquin Hospital. Their first patient was admitted on October 6, 1910.
Miss Quinn took the responsibility of paying off the hospital’s debt, buying additional land and enlarging the hospital. She doubled the size of the hospital by adding a new surgery, men’s ward, women’s ward and a kitchen.
In 1914, Miss Quinn bought out Miss O’Donnell and assumed duties of business manager, supervisor of nursing, surgery supervisor, anesthetist and laboratory technician. In 1920, she decided to sell SJCH due to her failing health. The hospital was incorporated and sold in equal shares to Drs. G.C. Sabichi, N.M. Brown, William P. Scott, George Buchner and F.A. Hamlin. Joseph Smith, M.D. later purchased the hospital and in 1964, requested that the Seventh-day Adventist Church
manage the hospital. In August 1987, San Joaquin Hospital joined Adventist Health
. Around this same time, the hospital added "community" to its name.
In May 2007, San Joaquin Community Hospital (SJCH) opened a much-needed 130,000 sq, ft. patient tower. This five-story tower expanded its ICU, Emergency Department, and Operating Areas; providing easier access with a new patient drop-off and loading area; tripled the size of the Maternity Care Center; and added a 9-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. When the new tower was completed, the existing tower began being renovated to create private rooms for patients as well as meet the new seismic regulations.
The new tower provided SJCH with the necessary resources to offer new, state-of-the-art services previously unavailable in Kern County. These services include opening the first Nationally Certified Stroke Center in the county in May 2008. To earn this distinction, SJCH’s Stroke Center underwent an extensive, on-site evaluation by a team of The Joint Commission reviewers. The program was evaluated against The Joint Commission standards through an assessment of the program’s processes, ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.
The success of the Stroke Center became evident in late 2008 when the American Stroke Association presented SJCH with the Get With The GuidelinesSM–Stroke (GWTG–Stroke) Bronze Performance Achievement Award, in 2009 with the Silver Plus Achievement Award, and in 2010 with both the Gold Silver Performance Achievement Award and Gold Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award. To achieve the Gold Award, the Stroke Center had to reach 85 percent or higher adherence to all stroke performance achievement indicators for at least 12 months. By achieving this standard, and having a compliance of 75 percent in at least six of 10 additional stroke quality measures during the same period, SJCH achieved the Plus Award. The award recognizes SJCH’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
Seeing a need for highly specialized burn services in our community, in 2008 SJCH made the announcement of a new partnership that would bring the world-renowned Grossman Burn Centers (GBC) to Bakersfield. In June 2009, The Aera (outpatient) Burn Clinic of the Grossman Burn Center at SJCH opened with much fanfare and in September 2010, the inpatient ICU opened. Over 600 patients treated at the burn unit since June 2009 – with a staggering 41 percent being children. The majority of the children treated at the burn unit have been under the age of five, and most suffered from a scald injury occurring in the home.
In 2009, SJCH received accreditation from The Society of Chest Pain Centers as a Nationally Accredited Chest Pain Center. SJCH became the only hospital between Los Angeles and San Francisco to house a Nationally Certified Stroke Center and a Nationally Accredited Chest Pain Center under the same roof.
In late 2010, SJCH announced the purchase of Quest Imaging, an outpatient radiology facility providing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography, Nuclear Medicine, Mammography and other imaging services. Quest Imaging originally was founded in 2002 by Dr. Donald Cornforth and Dr. Donald Fitzgerald, who perceived the need for a new outpatient center based on assessment of quality imaging services at that time and the continued, as well as projected, growth of the community. The 93 Quest employees are now SJCH employees, bringing the hospital’s workforce total to nearly 1,900.
The hospital's most recent announcement came in May 0f 2011. President and CEO Robert J. Beehler revealed to the community that the hospital would shortly be breaking ground on a $36 million cancer center. The project is slated for completion in the Fall of 2012.
Staying true to it's heritage and affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, SJCH's mission is the "share God's love with our community by providing physical, mental and spiritual healing.
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
and serving Kern County, California
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
. It is part of Adventist Health
Adventist Health
Adventist HealthTypeOperates health care facilities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and WashingtonFounded1980HeadquartersRoseville, CAAffiliationSeventh-day Adventist ChurchEmployees17,500Mission Statement...
.
History
Miss Margaret Quinn and Miss Mary O’Donnell arrived in Bakersfield, California in 1905 to take up nursing duties at the St. Clair Hospital. Both were connected to the Order of the Sisters of Mercy and were trained as nurses. They saw a great need for an additional institution to care for the sick and injured in the area. Although both had a $500 nest egg, more funds were needed.Miss Quinn, the businesswoman of the two, acquired a $6,000 donation from her family in the east and convinced two area businesses to co-sign a loan with her and Miss O’Donnel. Mr. Sol Mack, manager of the Bank of Bakersfield, co-signed for $5,000 and Mr. J. A. Huges, owner of the Huges Drug Store, co-signed for $2,500. Ms. Cora St. Clair also co-signed for an amount of $2,500. A quarter block site on 27th and Eye St. was purchased. Here a three-story building that would house 26 patients was constructed and named San Joaquin Hospital. Their first patient was admitted on October 6, 1910.
Miss Quinn took the responsibility of paying off the hospital’s debt, buying additional land and enlarging the hospital. She doubled the size of the hospital by adding a new surgery, men’s ward, women’s ward and a kitchen.
In 1914, Miss Quinn bought out Miss O’Donnell and assumed duties of business manager, supervisor of nursing, surgery supervisor, anesthetist and laboratory technician. In 1920, she decided to sell SJCH due to her failing health. The hospital was incorporated and sold in equal shares to Drs. G.C. Sabichi, N.M. Brown, William P. Scott, George Buchner and F.A. Hamlin. Joseph Smith, M.D. later purchased the hospital and in 1964, requested that the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
manage the hospital. In August 1987, San Joaquin Hospital joined Adventist Health
Adventist Health
Adventist HealthTypeOperates health care facilities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and WashingtonFounded1980HeadquartersRoseville, CAAffiliationSeventh-day Adventist ChurchEmployees17,500Mission Statement...
. Around this same time, the hospital added "community" to its name.
In May 2007, San Joaquin Community Hospital (SJCH) opened a much-needed 130,000 sq, ft. patient tower. This five-story tower expanded its ICU, Emergency Department, and Operating Areas; providing easier access with a new patient drop-off and loading area; tripled the size of the Maternity Care Center; and added a 9-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. When the new tower was completed, the existing tower began being renovated to create private rooms for patients as well as meet the new seismic regulations.
The new tower provided SJCH with the necessary resources to offer new, state-of-the-art services previously unavailable in Kern County. These services include opening the first Nationally Certified Stroke Center in the county in May 2008. To earn this distinction, SJCH’s Stroke Center underwent an extensive, on-site evaluation by a team of The Joint Commission reviewers. The program was evaluated against The Joint Commission standards through an assessment of the program’s processes, ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.
The success of the Stroke Center became evident in late 2008 when the American Stroke Association presented SJCH with the Get With The GuidelinesSM–Stroke (GWTG–Stroke) Bronze Performance Achievement Award, in 2009 with the Silver Plus Achievement Award, and in 2010 with both the Gold Silver Performance Achievement Award and Gold Silver Plus Performance Achievement Award. To achieve the Gold Award, the Stroke Center had to reach 85 percent or higher adherence to all stroke performance achievement indicators for at least 12 months. By achieving this standard, and having a compliance of 75 percent in at least six of 10 additional stroke quality measures during the same period, SJCH achieved the Plus Award. The award recognizes SJCH’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.
Seeing a need for highly specialized burn services in our community, in 2008 SJCH made the announcement of a new partnership that would bring the world-renowned Grossman Burn Centers (GBC) to Bakersfield. In June 2009, The Aera (outpatient) Burn Clinic of the Grossman Burn Center at SJCH opened with much fanfare and in September 2010, the inpatient ICU opened. Over 600 patients treated at the burn unit since June 2009 – with a staggering 41 percent being children. The majority of the children treated at the burn unit have been under the age of five, and most suffered from a scald injury occurring in the home.
In 2009, SJCH received accreditation from The Society of Chest Pain Centers as a Nationally Accredited Chest Pain Center. SJCH became the only hospital between Los Angeles and San Francisco to house a Nationally Certified Stroke Center and a Nationally Accredited Chest Pain Center under the same roof.
In late 2010, SJCH announced the purchase of Quest Imaging, an outpatient radiology facility providing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography, Nuclear Medicine, Mammography and other imaging services. Quest Imaging originally was founded in 2002 by Dr. Donald Cornforth and Dr. Donald Fitzgerald, who perceived the need for a new outpatient center based on assessment of quality imaging services at that time and the continued, as well as projected, growth of the community. The 93 Quest employees are now SJCH employees, bringing the hospital’s workforce total to nearly 1,900.
The hospital's most recent announcement came in May 0f 2011. President and CEO Robert J. Beehler revealed to the community that the hospital would shortly be breaking ground on a $36 million cancer center. The project is slated for completion in the Fall of 2012.
Staying true to it's heritage and affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, SJCH's mission is the "share God's love with our community by providing physical, mental and spiritual healing.