Building for Tomorrow:  A Construction Update

A piece of history was taken down making room for the Emergency Department expansion.  Though it is a bit sentimental seeing the Horning House taken down, it was dilapidated and in the way of the new Emergency Department expansion.

Our Nutritional Services department is receiving a new loading dock located next to the Emergency Room entrance as part of the expansion project.  New bulk oxygen tanks are being installed, as well as a new diesel fuel tank which serves the emergency generators. Construction is nearly complete on the Feather River Health Center, a 41,500 square-foot facility located at 5125 Skyway, is expected to be ready for licensing in April of 2008. Health care services provided at the center include adult and pediatric medical care and dental care, behavioral health, diabetes education and nutritional services.  Specialty services will include gastroenterology, orthopedics, cardiology, pulmonology (lung health), podiatry (foot health), general surgery, ear/nose/throat, and OB-Gyn.

Feather River Hospital began this project in 2006, researching land options and settling on the parcel at the entrance to the town of Paradise.  "It is important to us to ensure that residents of our surrounding communities have access to medical care," noted Wayne Ferch, President & CEO of the hospital.  "We are pleased that this location was an option for us so that our services can be accessible to those who need them."

Currently, three different locations on and near the hospital campus on Pentz Road provide many of these same services. Combining these different services into one location will help to ensure quick and effective sharing of medical records, effective staffing, and efficiency for the patients.  Once the construction is complete, the state must evaluate and license the facility so that it is approved for patients.

This aesthetically situated facility, with 41,500 square feet and costing approximately $19 million dollars, is befitting of the beautiful Paradise Ridge setting and will enable those individuals with Medi-Cal, MediCare or no insurance to easily get to a variety of health care providers all in one convenient location.  Accessibility to services can be difficult, so the public transportation options located right at the corner of Skyway and Schmale Lane, and across the intersection at Skyway and Neal Road will be helpful for many individuals seeking care at this new location.

The Feather River Health Center will also provide convenient access to a full-service Pharmacy onsite.  This new service features a pharmaceutical robot to fill prescriptions more accurately and faster, providing customers with prompt response to medication needs and allowing the pharmacist more time to answer questions for customers.  A drive-up window is another feature of this new service, adding to the ease and convenience of prescription filling for customers.

An Open House is scheduled for Sunday, April 27 from 1 to 4 pm at the Feather River Health Center, which is located at 5125 Skyway in Paradise.  Tours will be provided to showcase the new location and its many features and enhancements.

However, construction is far from being completed on the Feather River Hospital Campus as we prepare to expand and improve our Emergency Department.  This will entail moving a road, Garden View Drive, which currently runs in front of the Emergency entrance and expanding the building beyond where the road currently lies.

Thank you for your continued support and patience as we continue to build for tomorrow and meet the healthcare needs of our community.