Riverside University Health Unveils the Future

Community leaders and members gathered together Jan. 22 at Riverside University Health System (RUHS) medical center for a presentation of the planned expansion and programs coming to RUHS. The program began with an opening speech from Executive Director of Advancement for RUHS Erin Phillips, whom also moderated the event. Phillips was followed by Canyon Springs JROTC Color Guard whom presented the colors. Reverend Margret Kennedy, the hospital chaplain offered an invocation. Moreno Valley Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Giba discussed his personal connections to the hospital including his time working with Loma Linda’s Dr. Leonard Bailey and other University hospitals such as Stanford and UC Irvine as a director of research and development. “It is my pleasure, and I am truly excited, to welcome you all to Moreno Valley and to be celebrate what is promised to be the most significant transformation in health care delivery in the region,” Giba said. “This project is very dear to me. As a member of this community and this region, I will do everything I can to promote it.” Mayor Pro Tem Giba elaborated on the ways Moreno Valley would grow and benefit from the medical expansion. “Moreno Valley is very fortunate to have a hospital, new medical offices, and a Level 2 trauma center, where my mother had an opportunity to visit. It has the only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in the area right here in our community. We know with all certainty how valuable the medical community is to the quality of life for our residents. The growth of our economy, and trajectory of our future,” Giba said. Giba noted that advancing the Moreno Valley location matches the continued growth that the Council has for growing Moreno Valley, “One day this will be the region's center or hub for medical services, research, and education.” RUHS will be partnering with the surrounding schools and universities to aid in education, with health academy’s and research in the medical field. The expansion will improve the economy as the demand for new doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and a work force prepared for the community needs increases. Following Mayor Pro Tem Giba was Riverside County Chairman of the Board of Supervisors John J. Benoit. “Two years ago this hospital was on life support,” Benoit opened in his speech, “We were faced with huge problems. We were actually faced with a $100 million-dollar short fall. Things were not looking good and some advocated we sell the hospital and get out of the business. The majority of us did not want to that, and thought there was a better path,” Benoit said. “We invested over $100 billion dollars more in trying to find that path and move in a new direction. I am so glad that as board of supervisors we had that much faith and recognized the need for this kind of facility in our valley. This is not a safety net facility any longer. It certainly still serves that role for the region’s most under served, but it also has a bigger role today as an institution that people in the community will learn, know and hear that actually has an outstanding medical facility. The horizon is only getting brighter. It means an undeserved area has a great resource they can use. It also means jobs and benefit to the economy, and to Moreno Valley.” Benoit also discussed the new medical technologies and equipment replaced that had come to RUHS including a da Vinci surgical robot, MRI scanner, CT Scanner, and Cardiatric lab. “It is critical that we compete or have even footing with some our local institutions. Working together best we can. Partnerships are critical and we will have to do that to stay on top in the medical field today.” Under one leadership now, RUHS will consist of the 430-bed medical center off of Cactus in Moreno Valley, hospital-based clinics throughout Moreno Valley, 10 community health centers, behavior and mental health services linked together as one unified system. Supervisor Marion Ashley, fifth district spoke next. “I would like to say I am excited beyond words,” Supervisor Ashley said. “We are bringing the next century of services in healthcare delivery to Riverside County. Cancer patients healed, stroke patients restored, trauma patients saved. The next century of new doctors, new nurses, and new pharmacists. New healthcare professionals. They will grow to be so advanced that we cannot see all the ways yet. We hold pride in services to compassion here in Riverside County and an unwavering commitment to education. Unwavering commitment to all. The best has yet to come.” 41st District Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives, Mark Takano discussed the impact that rebranding will have on how medical services are delivered in the region. “I am so happy to be here. I am so reminded as to what I love about our county and our region,” Takano said. “This reimaging, reinvention, and rebranding of what these medical facilities are about coming from the idea of county regional medical center to the Riverside University Health System is a brilliant stroke of rebranding. It’s not just a surface rebranding. It is substitute reimaging, in terms of what is pertinent in how we deliver medical services to people.” Takano argued these efforts are critical in keeping up with the demands of medical services. He elaborated that the changes at the federal level in having a healthcare system to provide more with quality healthcare. The success of the health care reform will be dependent on facilities like the ones coming to Riverside. 31st District Senator Richard Roth discussed his personal history with the hospital and the challenges the region is facing, including increased population. Roth emphasized the necessity of health system in the region for RUHS and the expansion of medical residency programs. “We have had a shortage of beds, treatments, and facilities. This unified system has the potential to allow us to provide high quality health care to millions of individuals who are securely insured under the Affordable Care act, and also the un-insured to make sure that we have a high standard of health in this community, that we are no longer considered an unhealthy community, because of the quality of our healthcare. I commend the efforts of the RUHS and the county. This is a great day and extraordinary enterprise. We should all be proud of our county system.” Jay Orr, County Executive Officer, has been working for the county for 28 years and worked with the board since 2008. The project has been a journey for him since 2012 to change the future for future generations in the region. “It is a privilege and humbling to be in this room today,” Orr said. “We had to fight our way out of this and because of the courage of the board of supervisors in encouraging the dreams of other people, we are here today and going to move forward." Orr also mentioned that for the third year in row the region was recognized by US World and News as Gold Plus in stroke care in the region. “We are paving the way. You are, the doctors, the nurses, and healthcare professionals.” Zareh Sarrafian, CEO of Riverside University Health System, discussed the 123-year history of the system as “an unrecognized pillar in saving millions of lives while residing in Riverside.” Today the system trains 470 medical residents across 25 fields of study at the campus. Additionally, 200 nursing students from five local universities and colleges are receiving their training alongside the dedicated workers. Sarrafian also discussed the main pillars to the expansion plan including: integration (both external and internal), maintaining the foundations of the hospital beliefs and name, quality care, and investment capitol and infrastructure. “Today marks an exciting and critical start of our future,” Sarrafian said.