Tag Archives: City of Upland

New Year New Tower

 

By SARH

Upland–San Antonio Regional Hospital celebrated the New Year with the opening of its new 52-bed Emergency Department and 92-bed patient tower. The hospital’s new Vineyard Tower not only provides the latest medical technology and advanced care delivery systems; it offers patients and their families the comfort and convenience of private accommodations. Each patient room has been specifically designed to create a calm and healing environment for patients and their loved ones, while also providing the healthcare team with immediate access to the essential medical equipment and supplies needed to provide exceptional care.

The completion of the hospital’s $160 million expansion project could not have come at a better time. Emergency rooms throughout the Inland Empire have faced challenges in recent years as the demand for medical services continues to grow. Over the last decade, the population in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties has grown rapidly, outpacing state averages and increasing the need for a number of healthcare services, including emergency and hospital care. More recently, the demand has been fueled by the Affordable Care Act, which expanded coverage for previously uninsured residents, placing additional pressure on the already stretched emergency medical system serving the Inland Empire. “San Antonio Regional Hospital’s” Emergency Department, which has nearly tripled in size, will help to ease this burden by adding additional capacity at the height of the flu season,” stated Kevin Parkes, M.D., President of Mountain View Emergency Physicians Medical Group, Inc. “The Vineyard Tower’s additional beds with heart monitoring capabilities, along with the third critical care unit, will also help free up emergency treatment rooms by allowing patients who require admission to the hospital to be moved into their private room as quickly as possible.” Combined with the rooms in the hospital’s existing Citrus Tower, San Antonio Regional Hospital’s total bed capacity has grown from 271 to 363.

The first floor of the new tower includes the hospital’s main lobby, reception, gift shop, coffee bistro, and art gallery. The second floor is dedicated to the Emergency Department, which houses 52 private treatment rooms, including three rooms that are equipped for major procedures. Imaging equipment is now located in the Emergency Department, eliminating the need to transport patients to other areas of the hospital for X-rays, ultrasounds, or CT scans. The third floor houses a 12-bed intensive care unit and 32 telemetry beds for patients in critical condition needing constant monitoring and care. The fourth floor has 48 medical/surgical beds, including an orthopedic unit with a rehabilitative gym.

The expansion is the largest in the hospital’s 109 year history and was carefully designed and constructed to bring residents the very best hospital experience, with modern amenities, state-of-the-art equipment, and streamlined processes for managing patient care.  “While extraordinary attention to detail was employed throughout the planning and execution of our new Vineyard Tower, the hospital’s legacy is not defined solely by providing state-of-the-art facilities and the latest in medical technology; it also encompasses the caring team of professionals who have devoted their lives to providing excellence with compassion for the people we serve,” stated Harris F. Koenig, President and CEO of San Antonio Regional Hospital.

For more than 100 years, San Antonio Regional Hospital has offered advanced medical care for residents throughout the Inland Empire region. The hospital offers a full range of medical, obstetrical, and surgical services, including open heart, vascular, neurosurgery and urgent care. The hospital treats more than 200,000 patients each year, and is one of the busiest paramedic receiving centers in San Bernardino County. San Antonio has a strong history and reputation for quality care with a personal touch.

The hospital is located at 999 San Bernardino Road, Upland.

 

San Antonio Hospital Hosts Event For New Buildings

Staff Reports

Upland – The San Antonio Regional Hospital will be hosting an event to show off their new patient tower and emergency department to the community. The emergency department will consist of 52 new beds while the patient tower will include 80 private rooms and 12 critical care beds on its main hospital campus.

Residents from the Inland Empire are encouraged to visit the event which will include tours of the newly added buildings. The event will also include a health fair which will provide attendees with important information and activities on how to promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle. They may also receive free health screenings but are encouraged to reserve a time for an appointment at SARH.org/OpenHouse.

Children wearing their favorite superhero shirt will be entered into a drawing to win Disneyland tickets and will also be recognized as a healthcare superhero for the day. Local radio stations KOLA 99.9 and KFROG 95.1 will be at the even broadcasting live. Also, The Ontario Reign Ice Crew will be attending to join the children in outdoor activities along with mascot Kingston. Also in attendance will be Luc Robitaille of the Los Angeles Kings who will make a guest appearance at 10 a.m.

How you can benefit from SARH as an Orthopedic Patient

Staff Reports  

Upland- San Antonio Regional Hospital has been selected by Blue Shield of California to participate in the Blue Distinction Specialty Program as the Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement. To be recognized by the Blue Distinction Center, healthcare facilities must showcase how they deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community. SA has demonstrated expertise in total knee and hip replacement surgeries, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital readmissions.

The Joint Replacement Center at the Orthopedic Institute at SA offers patients a superior experience on many levels. The program not only incorporates best practices but also use a more streamlined, efficient approach to ensure the best outcome for an individual patient  while minimizing the recovery time.

Two previous patients, Patricia Bain and Alfredo Robles both agreed in saying they feel “restored” after having joint replacement surgeries that were performed by Jay Shah, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon. Patricia is a 59 year-old kindergarten teacher in the Chino Valley Unified School District, who had suffered for about 4 years with debilitating knee pain before she decided to have the knee replacement surgery. She states, “They prepared me really well. It’s a night and day difference from before surgery. The pain is really gone.” Before she had the actual procedure done, she also credited the San Antonio pre-op education and physical therapy for ensuring her successful outcome. As the other patient, Alfredo Robles had a similar experience at San Antonio. Her shared how he felt before surgery stating, “My knees and hips got so bad I had to use crutches just to hold myself up.” After Dr. Shah had completed two hip replacements and a left knee replacement on Mr. Robles in the span of a year, Robles says, “Normally, people like me don’t qualify for surgery, but I came in a wheelchair, and Dr. Shah said he wanted to try and help me. Now, I have a whole life. The doctors thought I would at least need a cane, but I’m walking with nothing. My neighbors can’t believe I’m up and walking.”

President and Chief Executive Officer, Harris Koenig, says, “Our patients benefit from a dedicated orthopedic team that involves many disciplines within the hospital, in addition to some of the finest orthopedic surgeons in the region, our registered nurses and physical therapists have special training to concentrate on patients who have undergone a joint replacement surgery. We have also added extra mobility aides on the floor to assist our patients in ambulating more often. This accelerates healing and recovery time. In fact, most of our knee and hip replacement patients go home within one to two days. Our Orthopedic Nurse Navigator is also a valuable part of the team, providing pre-surgery education and post-surgery follow-up, so our patients have a resource to turn to for questions or assistance, every step of the way.”

The Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped many patients with finding a quality provider for the specialty care of needs that include knee and hip replacement. According to San Antonio Regional Hospital, research has shown that facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients compared with their peers.

The Joint Replacement Center at the Orthopedics Institute at San Antonio Regional Hospital will be holding a special lecture series entitled Innovations in Joint Replacement Surgery. It will be from September through November, where you have a chance to hear from orthopedic surgeons about the latest options for shoulder, hip, and knee replacements. For information on how to attend, you may call (909) 920-6139.

 

Scammer Arrested Then Released

Staff Reports

Upland – An Upland man was recently arrested for conducting numerous scams throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, but was recently released. Police officials are looking for additional victims.

The first known scam occurred on July 25 when a victim contacted a reputable pool repair company from the City of San Bernardino. The suspect, identified as Todd William Karcher, 49, told the victim he was a new employee. He then gave the victim an “estimate under the company name, and a separate estimate under his name for additional work,” according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department.

The victim ultimately agreed to have Karcher do the work and gave him a personal check of $1,500, which was labeled as a deposit. “Karcher cashed the check the following day and never contacted the victim or refunded the money. The victim attempted to obtain a refund from Karcher but was unsuccessful,” said a SBSD news release.

After an investigation, it was learned that Karcher was fired from the reputable pool company for scamming other victims in Riverside County and San Bernardino County.

This resulted in Karcher being arrested and booked for theft charges on August 10 at the 11600 block of Lozano Place, Loma Linda. However, he posted bail and was released from custody at 10 p.m. that same night.

Anyone who has had recent contact with Karcher is encouraged to call the Central Station and speak to Detective Ruiz at (909)387-3545. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or you may leave information on the We-Tip Hotline at www.wetip.com.