Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital in Humbolt County, California serves as a Critical Access Hospital that continues to grow in response to the community’s changing healthcare needs. After 60 years of service, it remains steadfast in serving all, especially the poor and vulnerable. The hospital’s major programs and services offered include emergency care, critical care, outpatient rehabilitation, and various types of surgery – general, endoscopic, ophthalmology, orthopedics, and vascular. It is an integral part of the community’s social fabric and safety net. Without the hospital, local community members would lose the ease of access to quality care, advanced technology, and specialized resources that are close to home.
One medical device that is essential to any modern hospital is a surgical visualization system, which is essentially a mobile cart containing high-definition cameras, light sources, and monitors used to provide clear visual imaging during minimally invasive surgeries like laparoscopy and arthroscopy, allowing surgeons to see detailed anatomy during procedures. It acts as a central hub for managing the visual aspects of a surgery.
As Redwood Memorial’s towers and cameras started to near the end of their lifespan, this posed a critical challenge for three reasons. First, the hospital performs an estimated 1,500 surgeries each year and the precise nature of these medical activities requires clear images. Second, having state-of-the-art equipment is an essential investment in “Destination Humboldt,” the Providence initiative to strengthen recruitment and retention efforts to foster a thriving medical community in Humboldt County. Finally, an investment in this technology could help prevent patients from having to travel over an hour away, sometimes more, to receive care.
To support Redwood Memorial Hospital in facing their challenges, the Ben B. Cheney Foundation is proud to provide a grant to help them purchase two Stryker Towers. The towers are now in use, to the benefit of Humbolt County residents, and are supporting a comprehensive range of surgical procedures. Redwood Memorial estimates they will now be able to increase surgical volume by 20% over the next calendar year. By upgrading their surgical equipment, they are poised to retain highly skilled and dedicated physicians.
Learn more about the Redwood Memorial Hospital’s new Stryker Towers at: https://redwoodmemorialfoundation.org/blog/powered-by-philanthropy/
About Redwood Memorial Hospital:
Redwood Memorial Hospital is located in Fortuna, California and has begun a Journey of Holistic Patient-Centered Care. They honor the fundamental wholeness and integrity of the individual by encouraging the patients to be more involved in their own care. Patients are in control of health care decisions and have better access to a broad spectrum of health and medical information. In 2022, Redwood Memorial Hospital was awarded a five-star rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), putting them in the top 13% of all hospitals rated based on performance in five quality categories: patient experience, mortality, readmission, safety, and timely and effective care.