HOLY CROSS SPREADS WORD HOSPITALTOUTS SERVICES IN MARKETING DRIVE.

Byline: Kathleen Sweeney Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Providence Holy Cross Medical Center has launched a marketing campaign in the Santa Clarita Valley to lure patients to its facilities, less than a week after the community's only hospital filed for bankruptcy.

Holy Cross began placing daily full-page ads in local newspapers Sunday, selling its services and dedication to the community.

It's a campaign that has been in the works since July, and it's just the beginning, officials said. But residents shouldn't mistake the ad as a territorial move to steal patients away from the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

``This was part of a plan that was being put together over the last few months,'' said Kerry Carmody, a Holy Cross administrator. ``Because of our program on growth and development, it's just a natural process. Again, it's not being viewed by our staff as a predatory move.''

Andie Bogdan, Newhall Memorial spokeswoman, said the Valencia hospital is focusing on improving its reputation by providing a better working environment and improving health care, not spending money on advertising.

What little money the hospital has for marketing is being spent on recruiting nurses to fill vacancies and to give currently employed nurses a break, she said.

``It's a good hospital,'' Bogdan said of Holy Cross, ``and it's an opportunity for us to compete, and competition is only going to make us better.''

Newhall Memorial has been working to improve its poor reputation for the past year, but it was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week after two of its largest creditors - Holy Cross and Northridge Hospital Medical Center - refused to accept its offer to pay its creditors 22.5 cents on the dollar. It owed $10 million.

Holy Cross didn't sign up for the deal because of the hospital's financial situation, officials said. These ads are just reminders to Santa Clarita residents that it's been serving the community for 40 years and offers services other hospitals don't offer, including a heart and vascular center, cancer centers and women's services.

There are also 143 physicians on staff at both hospitals, and 25 percent of Holy Cross' employees live in the Santa Clarita Valley, including Carmody.

Santa Clarita residents already make up a good portion of Holy Cross' patient list, including 13 percent of oncology, 25 percent open heart and 14 percent of new babies, Carmody said.

``I came from the San Fernando Valley,'' he said. ``They (the patients) had their babies here, and they like it and are coming back. I don't see that being unusual at all.''