On October 14, 2015, Temecula Valley Hospital (TVH) celebrated its 2nd Anniversary. With over 640 employees, 280 affiliated physicians, and nearly 300 volunteers, the hospital is fulfilling a promise to the valley residents to deliver exceptional and compassionate patient care. In just two years it has seen the development of two critical programs: cardiovascular and stroke. They have expanded our clinical collaboration with UC San Diego Health, increased the number of beds in the Emergency Department, grown their key services, provided community education, and stayed true to their values of compassion, trust, courage, and innovation.
When it comes to cardiac care, Temecula Valley Hospital is setting the standard in the region. They have a robust diagnostic and interventional cardiac program. They performed their first open heart surgery in May of 2014, our 50th in June of 2015, and are very close to reaching their 100th surgery milestone by the end of the year. TVH achieved “STEMI Receiving Center” designation from the Riverside County Emergency Medical Services Agency (REMSA) in August of 2014 and just finished their survey for Chest Pain Center Accreditation through the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care this October. As a compliment to the advanced cardiac care provided, TVH launched their Electrophysiology (EP) Program in May of 2015. EP Studies (EPS) are tests that help doctors understand the nature of arrhythmias, abnormal heart rhythms, by studying the electrical activity of your heart to find where the arrhythmia is coming from.
Just as impressive in its advancements is the TVH Stroke Program. The tele-stroke program was introduced in October of 2013 in collaboration with UC San Diego Health. The program allows the emergency department doctors to talk in real time with a neurologist via telemedicine any time of day.
The hospital achieved “Stroke Ready” designation from REMSA in April of 2014 and barely a year later, Joint Commission Advanced Primary Stroke Center designation in May of 2015.
It is with their clinical collaboration with UC San Diego Health that they are able to provide world class cardiothoracic surgery, tele-stroke capabilities, intensivist services, and advanced neurologic services.
The 2015 hospital admissions have increased 54% from 2014 levels, ER visits increased by 36%, and the daily census has increased 74%. The Cath lab procedures have risen 104%, open heart surgeries 245% and general surgeries and procedures 76%. These numbers validate the great need in the region for quality healthcare. To accommodate the volume growth, the 19 bed outpatient pavilion was opened in November of 2014 and the emergency room expanded from 13 to 21 beds in December of 2014.
Temecula Valley Hospital will continue to engage the community through health fair participation and sponsorship. It is dedicated to providing meaningful information on health topics of relevance with its Medical Gold Minds Community Education Series. The hospital will continue valuable partnerships with the City of Temecula and the University of Riverside School of Medicine in promoting the Future Physician Leadership program. They are a part of the community that they love. They are committed to providing patient-centered, family-sensitive care because at Temecula Valley Hospital, it not just a tag line, it is at the core of who they are.