french hospitalFrench Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) announced that it has launched its “Beyond Health” fundraising campaign for the $125 million campus expansion, including a four-story Patient Care Tower that will double their capacity. The name “Beyond Health” was chosen to reflect the hospital’s commitment to advancing medical care and holistic services beyond the traditional community hospital.

The hospital already has almost $101 million committed, with $95 million being invested by Dignity Health and the balance coming from many private donors in the San Luis Obispo County community.

This total includes donations of $4.2 million from North County residents Stan and Barbara Clark, and $350,000 from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust, gifts which were announced today. The FHMC Medical Staff was one of the first gifts, supporting the expansion with a donation of $125,000 as well as an anonymous donor who gave $100,000.

This $4.2 million lead gift from Stan and Barbara Clark is the second largest donation to FHMC in the history of the hospital. After moving to the Central Coast from Los Angeles, Stan received emergency medical treatment at FHMC and both were so impressed with the compassionate and top-notch care. In recognition of their generous gift, the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the Patient Care Tower will be named the Stan and Barbara Clark Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

“We are so grateful that French Hospital was there when we needed medical care. Both Barbara and I fully support the hospital expansion efforts to continue its tradition of providing the most advanced care in a healing environment, so people don’t have to leave San Luis Obispo County,” says Stan Clark. Barbara adds, “The new NICU with private rooms is needed in our community and will keep families together. Quality services for children and newborns have always been our passion.”

FHMC is also pleased to announce a significant gift from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust. The $350,000 donation will support the hospital’s ongoing commitment to build a healing environment for patients, visitors, staff, physicians and volunteers. The new Patient Care Tower will feature a serene rooftop garden terrace providing space for peaceful meditation and comfortable gatherings. In recognition of Harold Miossi and his passion for the environment, the rooftop terrace will be named the Harold Miossi Garden Terrace.

“Your New French Hospital” will include:

  • 56 new private patient rooms, bringing the total licensed bed count to 180 making it the largest hospital in San Luis Obispo County
  • A 16-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • An additional 10 Intensive Care Unit beds, bringing the total to 21
  • New front entrance, lobby and dining area
  • A rooftop garden terrace providing space for sensory stimulation, socializing and outdoor activities
  • Expanded space for imaging, labs, materials management, food preparation, and more
  • Enhanced and advanced technology
  • A helistop helicopter landing pad for critical emergencies
  • A new non-denominational chapel
  • New parking structure will include an additional 243 spaces

A four-story 85,000-square-foot hospital addition and a parking structure will be built to accommodate the growth, with construction on the parking area to start by the end of 2019. The expansion is planned for completion by 2022.

“We are calling our campaign ‘Beyond Health’ because this transformational expansion will take us beyond what a traditional hospital’s role is in a community,” says FHMC CEO/President Alan Iftiniuk. “Our emphasis with the expansion is to create the hospital of the future, to exceed the needs of our growing community and provide the region with the most advanced technologies, highly skilled and compassionate personnel and a new state-of-the art facility. It will also create dozens of jobs.” Iftiniuk adds that, in addition to jobs created by the construction, the completion of the project will bring many permanent head-of-household jobs. “Part of going ‘Beyond Health’ as a regional health care institution is to contribute to the economic vitality of the area,” Iftiniuk said.

In recent years FHMC has established the renowned Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center, the innovative George Hoag Family Hybrid Surgical Suite, the Copeland Health Education Pavilion and the Stollmeyer Family Birthing Center and Acute Care Nursery. The new Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine currently under construction is planned for opening later this year. The ER expansion will accommodate significant growth in emergency room visits, driven in part by French Hospital’s growing reputation as a premier cardiac center and designated stroke center.

Since Dignity Health acquired French Hospital in 2004, more than $60 million has been invested in the hospital to transform and modernize the facility.

Aside from the aforementioned physical enhancements to the hospital, French Hospital also has the exceptional ability to invest in the community it serves.  As a reflection of the mission and commitment to improving community health and well-being, FHMC continues to identify and prioritize significant health needs and work in collaboration with local organizations to make positive and lasting impacts. Since 2004, French Hospital has provided nearly $25 million in community benefits to support various non-profit community programs.

To learn more about the project, visit gobeyondhealth.org


About French Hospital Medical Center  

French Hospital Medical Center, located in San Luis Obispo, California, is rated one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the nation and one of the Top 50 Cardiac Hospitals in the nation by Thomson Reuters.  The Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center provides the latest innovative cardiac and imaging technology on the Central Coast.

The hospital’s current modernization and redesign project is an example of the commitment to meet the growing needs of the community with lifesaving advancements in medicine coupled with excellent, compassionate care. The hospital is home to the unique Hearst Cancer Resource Center offering free education, resources and support to cancer patients and their families.  French is a Dignity Health member of the Central Coast which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA.

Dignity Health of the Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services including primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service.  Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities.