Ridgecrest Regional Hospital

Last updated

Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
Geography
Location1081 N. China Lake Blvd., Ridgecrest, California, United States
Coordinates 35°38′26″N117°40′16″W / 35.64061°N 117.6711°W / 35.64061; -117.6711
Organization
Care system Public
Type Community
Services
Emergency department Level IV trauma center [1]
Beds25
History
Opened1945
Links
Website www.rrh.org
Lists Hospitals in California

Ridgecrest Regional Hospital is a hospital located in Ridgecrest, California which is just east of the Southern Sierra Mountains in the Indian Wells Valley. [2] It has two specialty units, including pediatric and intensive care. The hospital was established in the mid-1940s out of a need for medical care for the workforce of the growing China Lake Naval Weapons Station.It is the only regional healthcare system in the area and provides a variety of services to the region. Jim Suver is the CEO of the hospital. [3]

Contents

Services

Ridgecrest Regional Hospital provides family medicine services through the Southern Sierra Medical Clinic and Rural Health Clinic.  The hospital offers the following: [4]

History

The hospital was established by Dr. Thomas Drummond in 1945 as Ridgecrest Community Hospital. The hospital has seen several expansions over the years: a new wing was added in 1968; an intensive-care unit in 1976; and a four-phased major expansion was begun in 1987. [5]

Financial Situation

In August 2022 Ridgecrest Regional Hospital announces that it would be closing down its cancer center due to a shortage of oncologists [6]

In August 2023, The California Department of Health Care Access and Information awarded Ridgecrest Regional Hospital $5.5 million in interest-free loans as a part of a Distressed Hospital Loan Program. [7]

In November 2023, the hospital announced the end of their labor delivery program due to a shortage of obstetric providers. [8] Soon after in announced that it will be laying off employees due to financial hardship. The situation is concerning for nearby residents who don't have alternatives for medical care. [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Info". emsa.ca.gov. 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  2. ↑ "ABOUT Ridgecrest Regional Hospital" . Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Ridgecrest Regional Hospital". RRH healthcare. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Ridgecrest Regional Hospital services". analyzed data from RRH. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  5. ↑ "The history of Ridgecrest Regional Hospital". source. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ridgecrest Regional Hospital closing down its cancer center leaving patients without local care". KERO 23 ABC News Bakersfield. August 16, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  7. ↑ Staff, BakersfieldNow (August 25, 2023). "Ridgecrest Regional Hospital receives $5.5 million interest-free loan in state aid". KBAK. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  8. ↑ release, News (November 30, 2023). "RRH to suspend labor and delivery services". The Ridgecrest Daily Independent. Retrieved May 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  9. ↑ COX, JOHN (February 15, 2024). "Ridgecrest Regional Hospital plans additional layoffs, hopes to avoid closure". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved May 24, 2024.