Press Releases: Southern California
July 9, 2008
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Announces Plans for New State-of-the-Art Replacement Hospital
FONTANA, CA – Kaiser Permanente today announced plans to build a 482,078 square foot, 314-bed hospital on its Fontana Medical Center campus. The seven-story hospital will be joined by a 55,774 square foot Hospital Support Building and a 32,100 square foot central utility plant.
The new facility will be one of the largest and most modern in the Inland Empire, and exemplifies Kaiser Permanente's ongoing commitment to its members and the community. "This new hospital will continue our legacy of innovation and ensure the availability of state-of-the-art medical services to Kaiser Permanente members in San Bernardino County for many generations to come," said David Quam, M.D., Area Medical Director for Kaiser Permanente's Fontana and Ontario Medical Centers. "We are thrilled to begin moving forward toward its construction."
The new Fontana Medical Center Hospital will replace the existing hospital on the medical center's campus and meet the new, more rigorous seismic safety standards established by the state of California. These standards require that hospitals not only remain standing, but also operational to serve the needs of the community following an earthquake.
"Our new hospital will adhere to seismic standards set for the year 2030, decades ahead of time," said Greg Christian, Executive Director of Kaiser Permanente's Fontana and Ontario Medical Centers. "In addition to meeting seismic standards, our new Fontana hospital is designed to provide a welcoming and supportive environment to help fulfill the physical and emotional needs of our patients and their families."
The Fontana Medical Center Hospital, which is expected to open in the fall of 2013, will feature a cardiac center and a 51-bed Emergency Department. The Hospital Support building will house an array of ancillary services including radiology, a pharmacy, and specialty clinics.
Kaiser Permanente's new Fontana Medical Center Hospital will be a 'green' facility that not only preserves energy and other natural resources, but also takes advantage of the healing properties of natural light and views of the outdoors. "Our new hospital will incorporate energy efficient lighting, electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, will be mercury and tobacco free, and ecologically sound," said Christian.
The Fontana Medical Center Hospital is part of an aggressive capital plan for the health plan's San Bernardino County members. The plan includes the construction of the 224-bed Kaiser Permanente Ontario Vineyard Medical Center Hospital, begun in January of this year and slated to open in fall 2011, and the 60-clinicians Redlands Medical Office building, which will open in October of this year. Additionally, the health plan is finishing work on a new medical office building in Upland.
One of the nation's largest healthcare systems, Kaiser Permanente is proud to be a part of San Bernardino County's heritage, providing comprehensive and affordable health care to members in the region for more than 60 years. Kaiser Permanente's facilities in San Bernardino County include medical offices in Fontana, Ontario, Chino, Colton, Victorville, Claremont, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Montclair, Redlands and Upland.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 49,900 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at kaiserpermanente.org.
