The French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo received a $350,000 gift to support the hospital's expansion project.
Hospital officials say the $125 million expansion will add a new four-story patient care tower and the only single patient rooms in San Luis Obispo County.
The donation came from long-time SLO residents Bob and Debbie Wacker. Bob says his experience as a cardiac patient at French Hospital inspired him to help ensure the community has access to advanced health care. His wife, Debbie, has been a volunteer at the French Hospital for more than 25 years.
“It’s important for us to be invested in our community hospital, to make sure that we all have great health care here locally, when we need it. We want the best care for our family, our friends and clients, and our wonderful community, and supporting French Hospital is our way of doing that,” said Bob.
The expansion project called "Your New French Hospital" will include:
• 52 new private patient rooms, bringing the total licensed bed count to 180 making it the largest hospital in San Luis Obispo County
• A 16-bed (all state-of-the-art private family oriented rooms) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• An additional 10 Intensive Care Unit beds, bringing the total to 21- all private rooms
• New front entrance, lobby and dining area
• A new interfaith chapel
• A rooftop garden terrace providing space for sensory stimulation, socializing and outdoor activities
• Expanded space for imaging, labs, materials management, food preparation, and more
• Enhanced and advanced technology and services
• A helistop helicopter landing pad for critical emergencies
• New parking structure will include an additional 243 spaces
Hospital officials are planning to complete the the four-story 85,000 square foot addition by 2022.
Alan Iftiniuk, President and CEO of French Hospital said, “We are honored by the Wacker’s generous support of French Hospital and their dedication to helping us go Beyond Health to bring world class care to the Central Coast. Bob’s guidance as Co-Chair of the Beyond Health campaign and Debbie’s tireless dedication as a hospital volunteer are also truly inspiring.”
