Business & Tech

Temecula Valley Hospital Hosts Area Officials for Ribbon Cutting, Reception

A crowd of at least 500 gathered Wednesday to celebrate the completion of Temecula Valley Hospital.

Temecula Valley Hospital “has a pretty nice ring to it.”

That is what the new hospital’s CEO Darlene Wetton said Wednesday evening to a crowd of at least 500 elected officials, corporate leadership, medical staff members and community leaders that gathered for a ribbon cutting, reception and tour of Temecula Valley Hospital on Temecula Parkway.

Construction on the hospital was completed in May. On July 19, Temecula Valley Hospital received its state certificate of occupancy. Now it is applying for full state licensing, while aiming for a mid-September opening.

Wednesday was a time of celebration for those who had worked toward the construction of the city’s first hospital.

“This is a great day for the City of Temecula,” said City Manager Aaron Adams, just after a purple—the color signifies the region’s tie with Temecula Wine Country—ribbon was cut.

“Being 24 years old, and without hospital services, this is kind of amazing. So we are celebrating this. This has been a long time coming,” Adams said.

Construction of the hospital took 19 months, although it had been a concept for much longer.

“Once it was approved, it took some time...” said Temecula Mayor Mike Naggar, during the reception that was held under a large white tent and began with a presentation of colors and an invocation.

Naggar recalled an impromptu meeting in 2006 with Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone and the late Scott Crane, a former CEO of Southwest Healthcare System and director of development for UHS.

Then the recession hit, Naggar said.

Fast forward to 2010, when Naggar reminisced a meeting with parent company Universal Health Services CEO Marc Miller, who said the hospital was going to finally be built.

“We are standing here looking at a miracle...I think we can safely have faith that the blessings are going to continue,” said Naggar.

While Stone and Miller were both in attendance Wednesday to hear Naggar’s remarks, Crane was not. Crane, who steadfastly pushed for the hospital to be built, died in 2009 at age 61.

His memory will live on at the hospital, and his wife, Sheila, was on hand Wednesday to receive a plaque in his honor.

Crane was “a very early visionary through his roles in healthcare leadership” who “demonstrated his commitment to the citizens of Temecula and Southwest Riverside County,” said Dr. Laurence Boggeln, chairman of the Temecula Valley Hospital board of directors.

“Sadly, he did not leave to see his dream come true,” Boggeln said.

Crane’s name will be installed on a rock near the flagpole at the entrance of the 140-bed hospital that boasts five floors, an emergency room, intensive care unit, and specialized cardiovascular, surgery and stroke departments.

It is also located near Jacob’s House, a home away from home for families dealing with traumatic medical events.

Temecula’s state Assemblywoman, Marie Waldron, R-Escondido, shared in the celebration Wednesday.

“It is historical for this community, it is really a wonderful asset,” Waldron said. “It is such a big event for Temecula...A hospital is one of the mainstays of a community.”

Waldron also spoke of the economic benefit, and the jobs the hospital has brought.

The hospital will employ 500 people. Many indirect jobs were also created with the design and construction of the hospital, officials said.

Also on hand to help celebrate were city management and council members from Lake Elsinore and Murrieta.

“This is actually a regional need, not just a Temecula need,” said Murrieta City Councilman Alan Long. “It actually reduces the demand on hospitals in Murrieta which means decreased wait times.

“On top of that, it brings jobs to the region. These are regional issues we should all be celebrating,” Long said.

According to Brian Connors, spokesman for Southwest Healthcare System, the Temecula facility will complement Universal Health Services’ existing hospitals in Murrieta and Wildomar. Inland Valley Medical Center will remain the dedicated level 3 trauma center in the region, he said.

“We are doing phenomenal work at Inland and Rancho Springs,” Connors said. “Temecula Valley Hospital just expands the services for this area...there is just a great coverage with the addition of this hospital.”

Marcia Jackson, director of strategy and business development for TVH, encouraged the public to attend the hospital’s community day, happening from 9 a.m to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10.

There will be a kid’s zone, refreshments, displays by local public safety agencies and nonprofits, and tours of the hospital every 15 minutes, she said.

“We want them to feel comfortable here,” Jackson said.

For more information on the public event, such as how to reserve a tour time, visit Temeculavalleyhospital.com.

To see a photo gallery of Wednesday's event, click here.


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