Holy Cross expands to meet needs of growing region.

Fresh from its largest, successful fundraising campaign in Providence Holy Cross Medical Center's history, raising over $7 million to expand its emergency department, the hospital is already looking to set a new record as it plans to build a new patient care tower that could cost over $120 million.

Providence Holy Cross has remained profitable, 2005 is expected to be the best year in its history, at a time of crisis for hospitals across the state. The closure of nearby hospitals such as Northridge Hospital's Sherman Way campus have sent more and more patients to Holy Cross' door.

The increased volume has been beneficial in some cases, keeping the hospital's cardiology, surgery, trauma center and other high-revenue programs running while making costly expansion projects necessary at the same time. Kerry Carmody, administrator at Holy Cross, said volume in the hospital's emergency room, trauma center and surgery units has grown by more than 50 percent in the last five years.

Holy Cross has garnered a number of high awards; it was named a top employer in the nation by the Oncology Nursing Society, and was listed in the to three percent of hospitals nationwide in 2003 by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations among other designations.

Two years ago, some of the hospital's nonprofessional staff members voted on whether or not to be represented by the Service Employees International Union.

"It was the largest defeat for the SEIU within the previous five years," said Carmody. "I think that showed that we have a very good leadership team here, it's very strong. We've been able to hire directors and leaders that come from facilities much larger than Holy Cross. Holy Cross is a 254-bed hospital that's run like a 400-bed hospital because of its capacity. It's a highly intense facility, and you need the right kinds of leaders."

"It has a fine reputation as a community hospital and trauma center," said James Barber, president of the Hospital Association of Southern California. "The area is growing and (the hospital) is increasing its outreach for patients that are commercially insured, Medi-Cal and others and it has well-developed charity care policies."

Holy Cross' concerns are not restricted to the needs of the San Fernando Valley. as the population of North Los Angeles County is getting larger every year. To address those needs, the hospital opened the Providence Holy Cross Health Center in the new Santa Clarita Valley Medical Plaza in Valencia. Holy Cross is providing an outpatient cancer center, surgery center and diagnostic imaging services to residents in the booming northern communities.

The hospital is also applying for Nurse Magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a designation that means the hospital is committed to promoting nurses to leadership positions and giving them a significant voice in patient care policies. The status, which is held by only Cedars Sinai Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles County, would help bring Holy Cross' already successful nurse recruitment program even more success, Carmody said.

The Honoree: Best Hospital

Providence Holy Cross Medical Center 

Hospital Administrator

Kerry Carmody

The Finalists

Northridge Hospital Medical Center 

Northridge Hospital Medical Center continues to make high-tech care a priority, participating in clinical research with institutions like UCLA and others. The hospital made technological advances in its cardiac catheterization laboratory and opened a new cath lab this fall. Earlier this year, Northridge was the first hospital in the Valley to open a Gamma Knife Center, which will give neurosurgery outpatients safe, state-of-the-art brain surgery options.

The Finalists

Valley Presbyterian Hospital

Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys has lived through an extremely busy year. In September, it held a grand reopening for its Children's Center's Pediatric Unit, and it also announced the start of a modernization project for its emergency department. In 2004, the hospital opened its new six-story, 127,500 square-foot, 188-room patient care tower. Valley Presbyterian also maintains a 10-bed pediatric intensive care unit which is the largest in the San Fernando Valley.