New Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine opens

In February 2020, just prior to the coronavirus pandemic reaching the Central Coast, French Hospital opened the new Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine. An extraordinary donation of $5.5 million from Peter and Mary Beth Oppenheimer supported the much-needed expansion and modernization of the hospital’s emergency services. Over the past several years, French Hospital experienced a significant increase in emergency room visits in an outdated and undersized facility built over 40 years ago. To continue providing the care the community deserves from French Hospital, an expansion was needed.

The new facility was designed for a high volume of emergency patients with a commitment to comfort, safety, efficiency, holistic healing and privacy, utilizing best-in-class modalities and technologies. The new Emergency Center more than doubled the space of the previous emergency department and features 18 private treatment rooms, compared to the five-bed ward and semi-private rooms that previously existed. These private treatment rooms are especially timely in the midst of the current pandemic.

Specialized rooms are designated for critical care, geriatric patients, trauma, infectious disease isolation, pediatrics and orthopedic emergencies, as well as fast-track beds for patients with less urgent conditions and specialized exam accommodations for patients experiencing behavioral health-related issues.

Trauma room

Pediatric emergency room

It also provides a sizable lobby area for families, essential triage rooms and a centralized nurse’s station with sophisticated monitoring capabilities. The former Emergency Department space was recently remodeled to accommodate advanced imaging equipment dedicated for emergency patients.

The Foundation and hospital express sincere gratitude to the Oppenheimers for their incredible act of generosity that allowed the new Emergency Center to come to fruition.

Lobby

Entrance

Nurses station