Orange, purple and other bright walls along with colorful big dots on the floor quickly set the mood by erasing the sterile hospital atmosphere inside the new Pediatric Emergency Department at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria.
Officials gathered Friday morning at the entrance to the new unit for a short grand-opening ceremony that included the unveiling of Rancho Guadalupe’s role before a priest blessed the facility with holy water.
A large donation from the family-owned farming company helped fund the creation of the seven-bed unit with its own entrance.
“I just want to welcome everybody and really thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for what you’ve done for our facility and for pediatric medicine emergency services,” said Sue Andersen, president and chief executive officer of Marian.
She expressed appreciation to Rancho Guadalupe’s leaders — Dick Donati, James Wesner and AJ Cisney — for the large donation leading to the creation of the pediatric unit.
“I see it as a partnership for this community for the betterment of health care in this community,” Andersen added.
During the ceremony, the trio removed a drape covering the sign noting their involvement.
The nearly 2,000-square-foot unit includes seven dedicated pediatric beds, including three triage rooms, a separate pediatric entrance, a dedicated pediatric nurse’s station and a newly designed lobby.
“As clinicians, we really are looking forward to using this space in a way that can provide the privacy for our pediatric patients …,” Dr. David Ketelaar said. “It sends a message to our community and to our pediatric patients that they’re important enough that we give them their own space here and that we recognize they have specific needs.”
Bette Jenkins, a nurse and emergency clinical educator, recalled taking her daughter Paige to the facility for a serious medical issue.
The specialized unit will allow staff to continue to deliver quality care while providing parents a safe place to get care for their sick or injured children.
“I don’t know that we can express the gratitude for the ability to have that service,” she said, adding that the unit is designed and equipped to help the smallest infant and adult-size teenagers.
While Marian has always provided pediatric care, the new unit offers a welcoming environment for younger patients. Among its features is a colorful mural on the wall of the main hallway.
One room, complete with a bright orange wall, is customized specifically for pediatric resuscitation of children in critical conditions.
The addition pushed the hospital’s Emergency Department beds to 42, including private adult rooms.
The Marian Foundation completed a $2.5 million Emergency Services Expansion Project campaign to make the project reality, with the largest donor being Rancho Guadalupe, officials said.
“With their generous gift, we were able to develop the Pediatric Emergency Department you will see today, but it also spoke volumes to the community,” said Jessa Brooks, vice president of philanthropy. “With their leadership, others in the community stepped up.”
The 25-year farming company, which grows strawberries, raspberries, broccoli, cauliflower and more, provided the donation.
Co-owner James Wesner said the farming firm decided to make the donation in recognition of Rancho Guadalupe’s “biggest asset” — its 1,300 employees.
“It’s one more way we can touch the community and help people,” Wesner said.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.