French Hospital Medical Center Recognized for 75 Years of Service

Hospital is nationally recognized for safety, patient experience, cardiac care, stroke treatment, maternity, and bariatric surgery

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – November 17, 2021 – To recognize the milestone 75th anniversary of French Hospital Medical Center, official proclamations from the City of San Luis Obispo, County of San Luis Obispo, and California State Legislature were recently granted to hospital leadership. The documents acknowledging the decades of care provided to residents of San Luis Obispo County will be proudly displayed within the facility.

In 1946, Edison French, MD, set out to meet the health care needs of the residents of San Luis Obispo. After serving in the Navy Medical Corps, Dr. French purchased the San Luis Sanitarium at 1160 Marsh Street and the doors of the original French Hospital opened to serve the county of San Luis Obispo.

The 1950s were referred to by many San Luis Obispo County health care practitioners as "The Golden Years." During this decade, the County grew to a population of over 50,000 and the need for specialist doctors arose.

In 1972, as the community continued to grow, Dr. French saw a need to expand on the facility and services, and opened the doors to a larger French Hospital at its currently location on Johnson Avenue. 

“It is an honor for French Hospital Medical Center to be recognized for this significant, historical milestone,” says French Hospital Medical Center President and CEO, Alan Iftinuik. “From the beginning, we made a commitment to provide exceptional health care for every stage of life, combining physicians from top medical schools, the latest advanced technologies, and safe, quality care for our residents – we feel we have accomplished that and more, and we look forward to the future of our facility.”

Dr. French passed away in 1985, but his memory and the contributions he made to local health care are still appreciated to date. Dr. French was a physician who had deep care for his patients, staff, and for the community in which he served. 

Today, as our community continues to grow, French Hospital remains committed to being at the forefront of health care. As such, French Hospital is building the hospital of the future, Your New French Hospital, a culmination of a vision of superior health care and a pledge to care for the community, well into the future. 

Your New French Hospital will transform the current campus and set the standard for care on the Central Coast with:

• A welcome center for patients and their families
• A private admitting area
• A four-story patient care tower
• Private patient suites – the only private patient rooms in SLO county
• Advanced neonatal and adult critical care
• A helistop for life threatening emergencies
• Enhanced services and technology  
• Healing views of the San Luis Mountains and a Rooftop Garden Terrace

As we celebrate 75 years of care, we look forward to the future of French Hospital Medical Center.

To learn more about Your New French Hospital, visit gobeyondhealth.org. The community is invited to follow “75 Years of French” on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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About French Hospital Medical Center

French Hospital Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, acute care hospital located in San Luis Obispo, CA. French Hospital Medical Center was recognized as a Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient, placing them at the top 10% of all short-term acute care hospitals in the Nation. French’s Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine is the area’s most advanced emergency services center. The modern facility is home to the Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center, is the county’s premier cardiac center, providing the latest cardiac and imaging technology, and the Hearst Cancer Resource Center offering free education, resources and support to cancer patients and their families. French Hospital Medical Center together with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA make up Dignity Health Central Coast, a network of hospitals, physicians, and outpatient services including physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers, and a full service home health agency.