Arriving at work at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning, Adrienne Feilden wasn't positive precisely what to anticipate.
The acclaimed baby life specialist at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital knew the sale of her neighborhood hospital to UCI Well being had been finalized hours earlier, so she wasn't too stunned when she noticed an enormous signal studying “UCI Well being” on the nook of Warner Avenue and Euclid Road.
The rebranding occurred shortly. UCI Well being has now formally bought Fountain Valley and three different neighborhood hospitals (Lakewood Regional Medical Middle, Los Alamitos Medical Middle and Placentia-Linda Medical Middle) and their related outpatient places from Texas-based Tenet Healthcare.
Officers mentioned the full sale value was $975 million, in money. The hospitals will now be generally known as UCI Well being – Fountain Valley, UCI Well being – Lakewood, UCI Well being – Los Alamitos and UCI Well being – Placentia Linda.
“It's an thrilling day,” Feilden mentioned at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Fountain Valley campus Wednesday morning. “I like that it appears like a household. I do know all CEOs say that, but it surely actually appears like we merged into one large household right now. “We had been already a giant household, however now we’re a much bigger household.”
UCI Well being additionally operates UCI Medical Middle in Orange, which has been listed amongst America's Greatest Hospitals by US Information & World Report for 23 consecutive years. Moreover, the tutorial well being system is opening a brand new campus in Irvine; The primary constructing, the Joe C. Wen and Household Middle for Superior Care, will open subsequent month.
Sufferers at Tenet's former hospitals and outpatient workplaces can proceed to obtain care as standard at their native services, UCI Well being officers mentioned.
The acquisition provides 858 inpatient beds to UCI Medical Middle's whole of 459 beds. In whole, UCI Well being's 5 services now have greater than 12,000 coworkers, UCI Well being President and CEO Chad Lefteris mentioned at Wednesday's occasion.
He referred to as the sale a historic second for well being care throughout Southern California.
“We’re, and our communities, stronger as a result of we at the moment are collectively,” Lefteris mentioned. “Collectively we are going to rework well being care supply in Southern California. We’ll serve for instance to the nation as we lead on the intersection of educational and neighborhood healthcare. “Collectively we convey the ability of the brightest minds, improvements and cutting-edge analysis with a deep understanding of affected person relationships and repair from native physicians rooted in these communities.”
Fountain Valley Mayor Glenn Grandis famous that the previous Fountain Valley Regional Hospital, now generally known as UCI Well being – Fountain Valley, is the town's largest employer. It has about 1,700 staff, 800 medical doctors and 400 beds, hospital CEO Randy Rogers mentioned in his feedback.
The hospital means rather a lot to Grandis, a metropolis resident for 44 years. She mentioned her oldest baby was born there 36 years in the past. She additionally has an autistic and non-verbal son and has obtained therapy in hospital.
“What an thrilling day for Fountain Valley,” mentioned Grandis, who serves on the hospital's board of administrators. “On behalf of the town, we’re very enthusiastic about this.”
Former Huntington Seaside Mayor Shirley Dettloff, chairwoman of the hospital's board of administrators, mentioned your complete board was excited in regards to the transfer and famous that the objective has all the time been for Fountain Valley to be among the finest hospitals within the state.
“It's not only a one-way road,” he mentioned. “The UCI has among the finest groups within the state of California. We’ve the most effective medical doctors, we now have the most effective nurses, we now have a employees that helps all of those medical companies. We even have the most effective safety guards.”
Representatives from the workplaces of Rep. Michelle Steele and Assemblyman Tri Ta supplied certificates to mark the event.
One of many stars of Wednesday was Carlie, the hospital's new remedy canine.
Individuals like canine and so they additionally like confetti. Tons of it, in UC Irvine's blue and yellow colours, spilled into the air after the ribbon reducing.
“We’re deeply dedicated to partnering with native communities and the physicians in these communities, listening and studying,” Lefteris mentioned. “This journey is not going to occur in a single day, though some indicators modified in a single day, if you happen to go searching. I ask in your endurance. “This can be a lot and we need to do it proper, not simply do it shortly.”