Looking Forward

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

An institution that has served Monterey County and our community for 70 years is launching a new chapter in its history with a name change and fresh, bold look. President/CEO Pete Delgado will make an announcement Monday, February 27 marking the next chapter in the legacy of Salinas Valley Health The unveiling coincides with the organization’s annual festivities commemorating Staff Appreciation Day.

Historical Context:
The planning for Salinas Valley Health Medical Center started in the early 1940’s when the Salinas Community Hospital Association was formed. Bruce Church, a successful local business man and philanthropist called on other influential citizens to lead a major fundraising campaign to build the hospital. The grassroots campaign raised nearly three-hundred thousand dollars and Church donated the land where the hospital was built.

Days prior to the grand opening of Salinas Valley Health Medical Center in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a letter of congratulations. In it he wrote, the “People of Salinas Valley have every right to be proud of this admirable example of local self-reliance and initiative,” commenting on the fact that no state or federal funds were used.

Salinas Valley Health Medical Center opened to the public in 1953 as a 138-bed hospital staffed with 100 employees and 45 physicians. 70 years later, Salinas Valley Health is a 263-bed acute care facility, employs more than 2,000 people and has more than 300 physicians.

Progression:
Monday’s announcement embodies an evolution in the organization’s mission of serving the health and wellness needs of the community through achieving clinical excellence, implementing community-based health initiatives, and expanding access to quality care with a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion. The name change will honor a seven-decade legacy and reflect the evolution of our future together. Below are just a few current milestones we are proud to share with the communities we serve.

• Clinical Excellence

  • One of only 10% of hospitals nationwide to achieve Magnet Nursing Designation
  • Leapfrog Hospital Safety “A” Ranking
  • U.S. News & World Report High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care
  • Accredited Baby Friendly Hospital
  • Level III NICU in partnership with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
  • Perinatal Diagnostic Center in partnership with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
  • Commission on Cancer Center of Excellence
  • American Heart Association Mission Lifeline - Gold Plus
  • American Heart Association Mission Lifeline – NSTEMI Gold
  • Monterey County STEMI Receiving Center
  • Chest Pain Center Accreditation
  • American College of Cardiology Award for Cardiac Care
  • Joint Commission Certification for Primary Stroke Center
  • Joint Commission Hip and Knee Joint Replacement Center
  • Pediatric Diabetes Center in partnership with UCSF

• Community Health Evolution:

  • Salinas Valley Health Mobile Clinic – launched in 2020 and has logged more than 11,000 patient visits taking free healthcare services to underserved pockets of the communities.
  • Blue Zones Project – a growing county community health initiative
  • Diabetes Collaborative - Nationally recognized collaboration addressing one of the most serious health threats facing the community
  • Health Promotion activities including Walk with a Doc, Wellness @ Work, Ask the Experts, Farmers’ Market, Produce Rx, free and low-cost wellness classes, and more
  • Community education and outreach including podcasts, flu clinics, COVID-19 testing and vaccination, Asthma Camp,
  • Professional/Student career education including Medical Adventure Camp, Summer Health Institute, Explorer Scouts, Health Scholars, and New Grad Nursing Residency Program with distinction
  • Named top 5 hospital in the country for social responsibility by The Lown Institute Hospitals Index

• Expanded Access to Care

  • Salinas Valley Health primary and specialty care clinics including Cancer Care, Cardiology, Diabetes & Endocrine Center, Women’s Health, Imaging, Orthopedics, Podiatry and Sports Medicine, Palliative & Supportive Care, PrimeCare, Sleep Center, Surgery, and Urology
  • Salinas Valley Health Taylor Farms Family Health & Wellness Center in Gonzales
  • Doctors on Duty and Urgent Care
  • Salinas Valley Health Mobile Clinic
  • Aspire Health Plan in partnership with Montage Health
  • Trio Health Plan in partnership with Montage Health

• Has approximately 10,000 admissions
• More than 50,000 ER visits
• Performs roughly 5,000 surgeries and more than 1000, procedures
• Delivers about 1,600 newborns