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Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital Celebrates 70 Years of Care

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The first district hospital in California and the prototype from which 65 others would follow.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (Nov. 23, 2020)Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital marked its 70th anniversary with a 1950s-themed celebration at the hospital for physicians and staff.

"For 70 years, Sequoia Hospital has been a cornerstone of Redwood City and the surrounding communities. We feel fortunate to have been part of so many people’s lives throughout the years,” said Sequoia Hospital President Bill Graham. "With all the changes throughout the years—including changes in ownership and a global pandemic—the thing that has never changed is the commitment of the people of this institution to care for generations of families."

The idea for a hospital in Redwood City originated in 1938, when a group of nine women led by Mary “Dove” Beeger made an appeal to the City Council for a community hospital to serve the residents of southern San Mateo County. Rather than relying on private donations or federal funds, the voters of Redwood City, Belmont, San Carlos, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Woodside and Atherton elected to form a "hospital district" in 1946, under newly enacted state laws. Voters also approved a pair of bond initiatives that financed the project at a cost of $2.1 million. Thus began the development of Redwood City's Sequoia Hospital—the first district hospital in California and the prototype from which 65 others would follow.

Since it opened its doors in the fall of 1950, Sequoia Hospital has served as a critical healthcare resource in Redwood City and the surrounding San Francisco Peninsula communities. And in response to a steady influx of patients over the years, the 106-bed hospital had grown by an additional 242 beds by 1960. As medicine has advanced over the past 70 years, services at Sequoia including maternal child health, total joint replacement, and cardiac care have emerged as centers of excellence, garnering regional and national recognition.

Dignity Health, which acquired the hospital from the Sequoia Healthcare District in 2008, has continued to deepen its commitment to the community. Dignity Health most recently partnered with the Sequoia Healthcare District on a $240 million expansion and modernization project that culminated in the opening of a state-of-the-art inpatient pavilion in 2014.

Like all hospitals in the United States, Sequoia Hospital has felt the financial sting brought on by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In May, Sequoia began the gradual reopening of elective procedures. “Emphasis was placed on medically necessary, time-sensitive procedures including surgeries, endoscopies, cardiac catheterization lab procedures, and interventional radiology procedures,” according to Eleanor Eberhard, MBA, RN, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer for Sequoia Hospital. “As we continue to recover and rebuild after the initial phase of the pandemic, we’re applying the valuable lessons we learned so that we’re well positioned to serve our community for another 70 years.”

About Sequoia Hospital

Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital is an accredited, not-for-profit community hospital providing innovative and exceptional health care for generations of Bay Area residents. Sequoia’s Heart and Vascular Institute is a nationally known pioneer in advanced cardiac care. Sequoia has received national recognition from Healthgrades for superior patient safety and was named as one of America’s top 100 hospitals for cardiac care. Our Total Joint Replacement program is a designated Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement, and our Birth Center is consistently ranked as a favorite among Peninsula families. We are also known for our comprehensive emergency care and leading-edge tomosynthesis 3-D mammogram technology. Our state-of-the-art inpatient pavilion combines the most advanced medical and surgical services with a unique healing environment, including private, spacious rooms and inviting garden areas. To learn more, please visit dignityhealth.org/sequoia. To support programs at Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital, visit the Sequoia Hospital Foundation.

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Publish date: 

Monday, November 23, 2020

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