A new era has arrived at Fontana’s Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. The medical center’s hospital, which was founded in 1943 and located on the site of the Kaiser Steel Mill in Fontana, will be replaced with a new hospital.
On May 8, officials for Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center at the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Sierra Avenue broke ground for the new Replacement Hospital, signaling the beginning of construction of a $700 million, 482,078 square foot, 314-bed, seven-story hospital. Not only will the facility meet the new state seismic standards decades before their required deadline in 2030, the hospital will also utilize natural light and/or energy efficient lighting, electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, and more environmentally safe items that make it a “green” building.
The plans and investment from Kaiser Permanente for the new hospital have also made it a catalyst for change along Valley Boulevard. That investment is being emulated by stakeholders and the City as they work towards the creation of new development standards along Valley Boulevard.
The new structure will employ 50 to 100 more people will achieve several objectives. In addition to meeting the state seismic standards Kaiser Permanente will build a more efficient and convenient facility for both the public and the patient.
The overall layout will create a welcome atmosphere for patients and visitors alike. Additionally, the new facility will offer open-heart surgery. The building will also have a 51-bed emergency department.
Other beneficial aspects of the new hospital include the facility’s design for healing. The private patient rooms have spacious floor plans that make the areas more inviting to family members. The additional natural light is also a benefit to patient health.
Construction of the building will not interrupt current care as the existing hospital will remain in operation until the new hospital opens in 2013.
One of the largest employers in the city, Kaiser Permanente has become a national leader in health care and has helped to put Fontana on the global map. While Kaiser Permanente currently has facilities in eleven cities in San Bernardino County, Fontana is proud of the rich heritage the Kaiser Permanente community has created here in our own town. Now, sixty-six years after Kaiser Steel began production, the steel mill’s medical program, Kaiser Permanente, continues to re-invest in the people of our community.
To find out more about Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, please visit their website at www.kaiserpermanente.org.
