By Carlos Hernández
[email protected]
The Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) unveiled Wednesday its new state-of-the-art pediatric unit, a transformative facility designed to centralize and enhance care for children in western Ventura County.
Dr. John Fankhauser, Executive of the Ventura County Hospital Network, described the project as a culmination of years of planning and dedication to creating a healing and family-focused environment.
The new unit consolidates all pediatric hospitalizations in the region into one location, enabling a higher concentration of specialized professionals, including doctors, nurses, specialists, and respiratory therapists.
This approach fosters a team dedicated to pediatric care, improving the quality of services and ensuring children receive focused and compassionate treatment.
Dr. Fankhauser and Dr. Todd Flosi, Director of Inpatient Pediatric Strategy for VCMC, emphasized that the facility aims to deliver the same high-quality level of care families would expect from major institutions like Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, but closer to home.
“People who have a desire to take care of kids are going to come here and be part of this team,” he said.
The facility aims to deliver care comparable to top institutions like Children’s Hospital Los Angeles or UCLA, ensuring local families no longer need to travel far for high-quality medical services.
Open 24/7, the unit is designed to handle emergency cases and hospital transfers from other regional facilities, providing comprehensive care for children who need overnight stays or specialized attention.
The new unit, who started offers 16 dedicated pediatric beds and a specialized team, including three board-certified hospitalists and pediatric subspecialists in oncology, neurology, cardiology, and gastroenterology.
Also, the facility is equipped to treat patients from newborns to 21-year-olds, focusing on providing high-quality, child-focused care locally.
“We’re here for everybody,” Dr. Flosi emphasized, encouraging community members and pediatricians to utilize the new resources,” Dr. Flosi said.
Now, with its skilled team and state-of-the-art infrastructure, the VCMC Pediatric Unit is poised to become a cornerstone of child healthcare in the region.
“We envisioned this space five years ago when we applied for this grant, and now to see that vision come true is just really delightful,” said Dr. Flosi.
By housing all pediatric patients in one location, VCMC offers comprehensive resources tailored to children’s needs, providing families with access to a full spectrum of care in their local community.
HARD WORK WITH CHALLENGES
Dr. Fankhauser stated the construction process, which took approximately two and a half years, faced 10 months delay due to supply chain disruptions, workforce shortages, and permitting challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite these hurdles, the hospital’s vision remained unchanged.
“There were a couple of elements related to air balance that caused a portion of the delay, but most were standard construction issues,” Dr. Fankhauser explained, likening the challenges to those faced by other projects in the region, such as rebuilding efforts following the Thomas Fire.
Aso, Dr. Fankhauser also expressed pride in the final outcome, noting the unit’s warm and welcoming design exceeds expectations.
“It’s a space that’s nicer, warmer, and more of a healing environment than I even imagined,” he said.
Seeing families and children benefiting from the facility has been especially rewarding.
He emphasized the new pediatric unit represents a commitment to serving the community with exceptional care.
“Our intent is to serve the community in a manner that’s above and beyond,” Dr. Fankhauser said.
“This is, to me, one of the best examples of that,” he added.
Meanwhile Ventura County ‘s CEO Dr. Sevet Johnson and Supervisor Matt Lavere, highlighted the transformative impact the unit will have on the lives of thousands of children, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, ensuring access to exceptional healthcare close to home.
“I am so honored to be in a County with the Board of supervisors who support not only in patients, but of strong families and the pediatric ICU, the Children’s Center for Cancer, these commitments that our policy makers have made, that our healthcare executives and leadership have made, and have said, we need this in our county, for our families,” said Executive Johnson.
Meanwhile Supervisor Lavere stated that many residents of Ventura County, particularly those from its most disadvantaged communities, rely on the county for their healthcare needs.
“Despite the challenges these residents face, they deserve access to world-class healthcare. The opening of the new pediatric unit at VCMC represents a significant step in ensuring that this high-quality care is available locally,” said Supervisor Lavere.
