Dignity Health Mercy Hospital Breaks Ground On New Southwest Tower Expansion Project

More than $4 million in additional donations announced for expansion project

Bakersfield, CA - On Friday, March 11, 2022, Mercy Hospital held a groundbreaking event to kick off the building phase of its new four-story Mercy Southwest Tower Expansion Project. Along with the new 106-bed patient tower, the existing hospital will undergo extensive renovations to accommodate the increase in patient volume and expansion of health care services including cardiology, neurosurgery, oncology, orthopedics, women’s services and more.

The groundbreaking event included an announcement by The Friends of Mercy Foundation for an additional $4 million in major donor gifts.

“This project is a continuation of the journey that started in 1910, when four young sisters of Mercy came to Bakersfield and were met by members of the community who surrounded them in generous support and guidance. Together they created Mercy Hospitals. It was because of this partnership that Mercy Hospital grew, expanded services, and became central to the fabric of our community,” stated Toni Harper, Vice President of Philanthropy for Mercy Hospitals.

The Mercy Southwest Tower Expansion Project was made possible through the many significant contributions from philanthropic donors dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of our community for generations to come. Major gifts include funding for:

• The Wright Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, featuring the first hospital in Kern County to offer 18 private family suites for our smallest patients and their families.
• The David and Catherine Gay Family Intensive Care Unit, an expansion from 8 to 24 beds of state-of-the-art technology for patients in critical care.
• The Ravi and Naina Patel Family Oncology Floor, an expansion of the only dedicated inpatient oncology unit in the Southern Valley.
• The Pandol Main Lobby, honoring the Camp and Pandol families and offering a welcoming space for patients and families to gather.
• The Bidart Family Surgical Waiting Area, a high-tech modern space offering comfortable surroundings for patients and families during their visit to the expanded surgical department.
  
• The Beverly Camp Women's Cancer Program- providing treatment and care for the most vulnerable.

The area around Mercy Hospital Southwest is projected to grow by 7% in the next 5 years. With a growing community comes the growing need for access to quality healthcare.

“Part of our mission is to help improve the health of the people we serve, especially the vulnerable,” said Dr. Hemmal Kothary, Interim President/CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Mercy Hospitals Bakersfield. “This expansion project at Mercy Hospital Southwest is monumental and will allow us to serve more patients and provide the best possible care in the safest manner.”

Construction of the $350 million project is expected to be complete by 2024 and is led by Layton Construction, SC Anderson, Inc., Cuningham, and Devenney Group. The Mercy Southwest Tower Expansion Project includes:

• 106 Private Patient Rooms
• A New 24 Room Intensive Care Unit
• 18 Private Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Rooms
• State-of-the-Art Cardiac Catheterization Suites
• Expanded Neurosurgery Capabilities
• 6 additional Operating Rooms
  
• Specialized Oncology and Orthopedic Units
• Expanded Emergency Department
• Additional Parking and Campus Redesign

Along with remodeled admitting, imaging, and public areas, the hospital plans to hire additional physicians, specialists, nurses, and other clinical and non-clinical staff, creating hundreds of new area jobs.

About Dignity Health Mercy Hospital Bakersfield

Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy Hospital has a history of caring for our community that goes back more than 100 years. We provide a broad range of medical and surgical services including minimally invasive and outpatient options. Our family of services includes the area's only inpatient oncology unit, the Orthopedic, Spine, and Hand Center, The S.A. Camp Companies Robotic Surgery Center, Family Birth Center, The Women’s Center at Mercy Southwest, and many others. Mercy Hospital Downtown is a 144-bed facility located in downtown Bakersfield. Mercy Hospital Southwest is a 85-bed facility and the only hospital located in the rapidly growing area west of Highway 99. A member of CommonSpirit Health, Dignity Health Mercy Hospital is a trusted community partner, serving residents of Bakersfield and Kern County with quality, compassionate care since 1910. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/mercybakersfield.

 

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