St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) is a hospital in Long Beach, California, US. It is currently operated by Dignity Health. SMMC has all private acute care rooms for patients.
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Services
In December 1983, the emergency department at SMMC was designated as a level I trauma center for adults. This was changed to level II in 1992. SMMC has partnered with California State University, Long Beach to provide the only mental health trauma recovery center in Southern California. The hospital also has a heart center, orthopedic institute, cancer center and pediatrics and maternity services.
SMMC provides many services such as:
Comprehensive Cancer Center - offering state of the art protocols in chemotherapy, radiation oncology and surgery. St Mary provides patients with the latest medications and treatments.
Cardiac Center - provides comprehensive cardiac services including innovative techniques such as cardiac stents, electrophysiology studies and ablations.
Emergency Services and a level II Trauma Center - 24-hour with a base station for L.A. county Mobile Intensive Care Squads, has a helipad for emergency air transport.
Rehabilitation Institute - offers physical and occupational therapies, speech pathology, clinical psychology and audiology.
Older Adult Services - includes geriatric assessment, outpatient treatment, support groups and rehabilitation.
Maternal and Child Health - includes Labor and Delivery, Postpartum and Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit.
Bariatric Surgery Center - offers treatment to patients struggling with obesity-related issues, and is a Center of Excellence as approved by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric surgeons.
Disaster Resource Center - St. Mary is the designated regional center for disaster preparedness in the event of a major catastrophe for eleven hospitals and medical centers in the greater Long Beach and southern Los Angeles county area.
History
In 1923, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word answered the call from Rev. J.M. Hegarty, pastor at St. Anthony’s, to care for the sick and poor in Long Beach, by purchasing what is now St. Mary Medical Center from Dr. T.O. Boyd.
The building was damaged so significantly in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake that the entire building had to be razed and a new, 100-bed facility built on the site. The new hospital opened in 1937 and was financed by a Public Works Administration loan. It was designed by architect I.E. Loveless in the Art Deco style.
Over the years the hospital has been a pioneering institution in many areas including cardiology, radiology, cancer care, kidney transplantation, trauma services and rehabilitation. The mission of the hospital is no different from what it was 87 years ago when the Sisters of Charity first came to Long Beach. St. Mary is no longer a small 70-bed hospital with a handful of doctors and nurses. Today, St. Mary Medical Center is a 389 bed, non-profit medical center offering award winning, quality medical services. With its 1,462 staff, over 500 physicians and commitment to the Long Beach area.
Catholic Healthcare West (now Dignity Health) acquired St. Mary Medical Center from the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in 1996.
References
External links
- Official Website
- This hospital in the CA Healthcare Atlas A project by OSHPD
- Dignity Health Official Website
