In-Depth: The Future of Valley Healthcare
Peter Daut
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – As the Coachella Valley continues its rapid growth, Eisenhower Health is making major changes to prepare for the future. News Channel 3’s Peter Daut took an in-depth look at what the hospital is doing to meet the community’s evolving healthcare needs.
From new facilities to state-of-the-art technology, it’s almost hard to keep track of everything happening right now at Eisenhower.
For example, an entirely new section of the hospital is just days away from opening inside the original building, providing nearly three dozen additional inpatient beds.
“This is all brand new,” Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alan Williamson said. “There’s fresh paint on the walls, and we’re ready to have new patients come in.” The new nursing unit is part of the hospital’s broader expansion to meet the community’s growing needs.
“Are you hopeful that this will make a difference?” Daut asked him. He answered: “Absolutely. During the season in particular, we are at capacity. So patients are having to hold in the recovery room or emergency room, because we just don’t have a bed available for them. So now we’ll be able to accommodate those patients.”
In addition, construction is currently underway for the new Eisenhower Cardiovascular Institute, a multi-floor tower with about 100 exam rooms. Cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and specialized care teams will treat the full spectrum of heart disease and disorders in one location.
The hospital also recently expanded the Lucy Curci Cancer Center, adding nearly 6,000 square feet to increase patient care.
And in light of the Valley’s growing senior population, a new facility is also being planned for the Eisenhower Memory Care Center. The adult daycare program will serve adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias who may need care during the day. Across a shared courtyard from the Memory Care Center will be a new childcare facility for children of employees and physicians.
But one of the most important changes: bringing Eisenhower’s services closer to where people live and work. Over the last several years, the hospital has been opening clinics, stretching from Palm Springs to Indio to Yucca Valley. CEO Marty Massiello said creating access to services is essential.
“So much is happening outside of the hospital now in terms of healthcare. We see about 23,000 visits a year in the hospital. Last year we saw over 1.1 million visits in our outpatient clinics. So that was a real strategic move for us to get out there in the community and be where people are,” he said.
Eisenhower is also focusing on behavioral health and substance abuse. The hospital just expanded its on-campus mental and behavioral health clinic, from 5,000 to 12,000 square feet, and will be doing state-of-the-art treatments to help people with depression and other disorders. Additionally, there will soon be a new psychiatry residency program to bring more psychiatrists to the Valley. The hospital also recently opened a substance-abuse rehabilitation clinic in Cathedral City, offering medication-assisted therapy for drug and alcohol use disorder, outpatient withdrawal management, and walk-in referrals.
“It’s been a period of super growth for us. The community has really responded to our services, so we continue to get out there and provide those services. And I want to stress close to where people live and work,” Massiello said.
The hospital is also embracing the latest in medical technology. This summer, it began using six da Vinci 5 surgical robots, the most advanced robot in the world for minimally invasive surgeries. Not only does this help to provide better care for patients, but the hospital said it also helps with physician recruitment.
“It’s a high-demand, high healthcare-demand area, and it’s not always the easiest to recruit providers here, but given everything that we have from the latest in robotics, the latest in technology, it does help us in recruiting the best physicians here,” Executive Vice President and COO Ken Wheat said.
And as our Valley continues its massive growth, Massiello hinted something major could be coming. “How different will Eisenhower Hospital be 10 years from now?” Daut asked him. He replied, “If I was a betting person, I would say that we probably have another Eisenhower Hospital somewhere in the Valley. I think the Valley needs additional beds. And so, if I was a betting person, I would say that Eisenhower because of the trust of the community and the kind of care and services we provide, that it’s probably something that we should be considering for the future.”
Right now, the hospital is developing its new strategic plan to look at the next several years, and the needs of our growing community. It’s also important to note that Eisenhower is the only not-for-profit hospital in the Valley, so all these projects are being funded through the generosity of donors.
For more information on everything happening at Eisenhower, head to: https://eisenhowerhealth.org/growth/