As the saying goes, you want to avoid hospitals – too many sick people there. Even so, Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria is good for what ails you.

The Sisters of St. Francis founded Marian nearly 70 years ago and have pursued compassion since. Key values are dignity, collaboration, justice, stewardship and excellence. The sisters who originally brought the hospital to Santa Maria are still affiliated with the facility, though Catholic Healthcare West, the largest not-for-profit healthcare provider in the state, now owns it. MMC services range from heart and cancer centers to home care and hospice. Marian Medical Center also has rehab facilities.

Marian Medical Center is currently embarking on its biggest project since its founding – a $225 million addition.

“Over the next few years, Marian will be embarking on its greatest, most ambitious project to date as we begin construction on our new state-of-the-art acute care facility which will provide for our community’s needs well into the 21st century,” says Charles J. Cova, president of Marian Medical Center “The project will also include the expansion and relocation of the emergency department, pharmacy and dietary services, as well as expanded public spaces for visitors and families.”

The expanded facility is a mixture of old and new. The addition is essentially a new hospital built alongside the existing facility and attached at the first and second floors. The new four-story patient tower is planned for 216,000 square feet and will have space for 188 beds, up from the current 132 beds. The existing 177,000-square-foot building will eventually house other hospital uses such as offices, storage and education rooms.

And did we mention the new rooms are private?

“It’s a big expansion,” Santa Maria Mayor Larry Lavagnino says. “Everyone wants a private room.”

Lavagnino’s not just a booster – he’s a patient. After quintuple bypass there seven years ago, he also used the Marian Medical Center cardiac rehab facility following the surgery.
“When you walk through the doors at Marian, you are going to get great service,” he says.

The first phase of the project is currently under way, with the new tower expected to be open in 2010.