The hospital’s unique culture of “Carism” saved it from the brink of closure and transformed it into one of the country’s “100 Great Community Hospitals”
True caregivers rise to any challenge and put the well-being of others first. Conversations about transforming health care must center on the passion and dedication worn on the sleeves of these heroes who can never be outpaced by better tools or facilities alone.
This philosophy is alive and well in San Luis Obispo, a rural community on California’s Central Coast a few hours away from the high-tech centers of Los Angeles and the Silicon Valley.
In 2004, when I arrived in SLO (our local shorthand for San Luis Obispo), I was presented with the challenging assignment to turn around the struggling French Hospital Medical Center. This wasn’t like other turnarounds I had shepherded. I walked into dilapidated buildings with outdated medical equipment that hadn’t been properly managed or maintained.
I quickly learned, however, that some members of the hospital’s medical staff in partnership with a local developer had purchased the property in order to save the venerable and historic facility. I had to find out why they would go to such extraordinary lengths. The outpouring of stories I got revealed a unique culture of what I began to call “Carism.”
San Luis Obispo County has a long history providing residents with healthy lifestyles thanks to its outdoor attractions, temperate climate, and wide offering of education, art and culture. These qualities also attract many of the best caregivers from large metropolitan hospitals. This, plus our philosophy of Carism, has ensured that our small-town health care is as advanced and innovative as “Big City” care.
Dr. Edison French was the first to pursue this dream, being inspired after touring the famed Mayo Clinic. In 1946, he purchased the old SLO sanitarium with the vision of creating a “mini Mayo Clinic” on California’s Central Coast. He called it French Hospital.
Dr. French wanted his hospital to be a place where caregivers took excellent care of their friends and neighbors. His philosophy was that the very best care is care close to home.
To make this happen, French, a skilled physician himself, recruited dozens of other top-notch medical professionals, including: his brother, Dr. George French, an orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Louis Tedone, the county’s first pediatrician; a radiologist, ophthalmologist, anesthesiologist, OB/GYN, and cardiologist.
Though Dr. French passed away in 1985, his vision is a promise French Hospital Medical Center continues to keep. To date, we have expanded to include the renowned Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center, the Copeland Health Education Pavilion, the Stollmeyer Family Birthing Center, Hearst Cancer Resource Center, the Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine, and much more.
French Hospital Medical Center has become a nationally recognized hospital, winning many prestigious awards and honors, including being named repeatedly on the list of “Top 100 Community Hospitals” by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Looking toward the future, the unprecedented $130 million Beyond Health campaign will upgrade facilities, technologies and procedures to exceed our community’s needs and expectations.
The French Hospital of the future will be a culmination of Dr. French’s vision and set the standard for care on the Central Coast with:
- A new four-story, 85,000-square-foot patient care tower with 56 new single-patient rooms
- A 16-bed (all state-of-the-art private, family-oriented) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- An additional 10 Intensive Care Unit beds, bringing the total to 21 (all single rooms)
- Expanded space for imaging, labs, pharmacy and more
- Enhanced and advanced technologies and services
- A helistop helicopter landing pad for critical emergencies
- A new front entrance, lobby, and dining area
- An interfaith chapel open to all for prayer, meditation, learning and group services
- Holistic grounds and healing spaces
- A rooftop garden terrace providing space for sensory stimulation, socializing, and outdoor activities
- A new parking pavilion
French Hospital’s proud legacy of caring can be summed up in two words—resilience and compassion. Successful hospitals have the capacity to overcome adversity, adapt, bounce back, strategically grow and continue to anticipate and exceed the expectations of their community.
Today we celebrate French Hospital’s 75th anniversary and look forward to many years to come.
You are invited to read the series of three articles about French Hospital’s Culture of Carism by following Alan Iftiniuk on Medium.com.
To learn more about French Hospital, visit www.gobeyondhealth.org or follow #75YearsofCare on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.