| Ridgecrest Regional Hospital | |
| Address: | 1081 N. China Lake Blvd. |
| Region: | Ridgecrest |
| State: | California |
| Country: | US |
| Healthcare: | Public |
| Type: | Community |
| Beds: | 25 |
| Founded: | 1945 |
| Emergency: | Level IV trauma center[1] |
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital is a hospital located in Ridgecrest, California which is just east of the Southern Sierra Mountains in the Indian Wells Valley.[2] It has two specialty units, including pediatric and intensive care. The hospital was established in the mid-1940s out of a need for medical care for the workforce of the growing China Lake Naval Weapons Station.It is the only regional healthcare system in the area and provides a variety of services to the region. Jim Suver serves as the CEO of the hospital.[3]
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital provides family medicine services through the Southern Sierra Medical Clinic and Rural Health Clinic. Â The hospital offers the following services:[4]
The hospital was established by Dr. Thomas Drummond in 1945 as Ridgecrest Community Hospital. The hospital has seen several expansions over the years: a new wing was added in 1968; an intensive-care unit in 1976; and a four-phased major expansion was begun in 1987.[5]
In August 2022 Ridgecrest Regional Hospital announces that it would be closing down its cancer center due to a shortage of oncologists[6]
In August 2023, The California Department of Health Care Access and Information awarded Ridgecrest Regional Hospital $5.5 million in interest-free loans as a part of a Distressed Hospital Loan Program.[7]
In November 2023, the hospital announced the end of their labor delivery program due to a shortage of obstetric providers.[8] Soon after in announced that it will be laying off employees due to financial hardship. The situation is concerning for nearby residents who don't have alternatives for medical care.[9]