Tulare’s hospital is now Adventist Health Tulare

TULARE – Less than six months after Adventist Health reopened the doors of Tulare Regional Medical Center, the hospital officially has become part of the Adventist Health Family. The hospital is now known as Adventist Health Tulare.

All material documents were filed or formalized on Friday, March 15, 2019, to start the lease and change the license ownership to reflect Adventist Health. This means that Adventist Health transitions from managing the hospital for the Tulare Local Health Care District to leasing and operating it as an Adventist Health hospital. While the lease began on March 15, Adventist Health needed formal approval California Department of Public Health approval to begin calling the hospital Adventist Health Tulare, which occurred April 26.

The name change reflects the efforts of countless people, including Adventist Health employees, the Tulare Local Health Care District, Citizens for Accountability, a very dedicated Tulare team, plus Tulare voters, all pulling together to reopen the hospital, said Randy Dodd, president of Adventist Health Tulare.

“We are fortunate that we were selected to deliver the care that this community wanted and knew it needed, and we are preparing to introduce even more services in just our first year, with more to come,” he said. “We look forward to caring for Tulare residents for many years.”

Since reopening to the public on Oct. 15, 2018, the hospital has seen more than 13,000 patients in its Emergency Department and performed more than 140 surgeries in its surgical suites. In addition to the surgeries, more new services include wound care, home care and pulmonary function testing.

Before summer’s end, the Tulare team will resume birthing services in the Obstetrics wing and welcome the first baby born at Adventist Health Tulare.

The change is the fulfillment of the community’s steadfast mission to provide high-quality health care to Tulare’s residents, said Kevin Northcraft, president of the board of the hospital district.

“What a significant milestone in the Tulare community's progress in restoring our local hospital,” he said. “The beginning of the Adventist Health lease is expected to restore quality, local, self-sustaining hospital facilities for our 70,000 residents – and their descendants and successors – for at least the next 30 years.”

He called Tulare “the rare community” of determined, civic-minded citizens who donated countless hours to right a wrong.

“God bless Adventist Health Tulare, our new hospital, and God bless our beloved greater Tulare community,” he said.

In all, the hospital now employs nearly 400 employees throughout the hospital and various support services.

A blessing, dedication and celebratory luncheon for the team and supporters is planned for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 in the hospital parking lot.

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Adventist Health in the Central Valley is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 35,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God's love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing.