| Richmond Medical Center | |
| Richmond Medical Center in downtown Richmond, California | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Richmond, California, United States |
| History | |
| Founded | 1942 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/facilities/region/eastbay/area_master/about_us/richmond/index.jsp Richmond Medical Center |
| Lists | Hospitals in California |
Richmond Medical Center is a large Kaiser Permanente hospital in downtown Richmond, California which serves 77,000 members registered under its medical plans.[1]
Contents |
The current facility was built in the 1970s to replace an aging World War II era field hospital [2]. The Kaiser Richmond Field Hospital opened in 1942 to serve workers at the Richmond Shipyards who had signed up for the "Kaiser Plan", one of the first voluntary prepaid health plans and a direct precursor to the modern Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). The original hospital closed in 1995. Along with the entire neighborhood of Atchison Village, it is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.[3]
The hospital was originally one pavilion, but was expanded to three in the 1990s, including upgrading to a full hospital service including surgery and emergency. The hospital portion underwent further expansion in 2006.
Richmond Medical Center has 41 departments and services offered to its members.
The hospital offers emergency medical services in addition to surgery and is currently being enlarged. The partial closure of the next closest hospital, Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, has put a strain on emergency services. Patients with more serious complications are sent to John Muir Health in Walnut Creek. Children can directed to Children's Hospital Oakland when conditions warrant.
Richmond Medical Center has Benefits Advocacy and Social Services departments to assist those with the state funded Medi-Cal health plan. This is a health coverage for those who are on welfare, poor, disabled, and seniors. The department assists patients to access their benefits and navigate applications and appeals.
Richmond Medical Center offers Health Education workshops to educate their members about healthy lifestyles. There is a Breast Health Clinic. The hospital has a dedicated HIV services unit to assist patients who are HIV-positive. Home Health Care and Chronic Conditions departments provide advice on home care those with chronic conditions such as dementia, asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy, and also helps people with common afflictions such as seasonal allergies or influenza. There is a Respiratory Care department which is dedicated specifically to those with asthma, an illness which has a high incidence in Richmond. The rehabilitation department oversees physical therapy for those who have suffered severe injuries or amputations. There is an occupational health department which is dedicated to educating and treating patients with work related injuries. There is a speech therapy department which assists autistic children. The medical center has a teen clinic where adolescents may attend without the accompaniment or consent of an adult and without going to Pediatrics; it has a focus on sexual health and substance use. That unit works with the chemical dependency department which provides health care for those with addictions and recreational use of various narcotics such as alcohol, marijuana, prescription abuse, crack cocaine, and others. Toddlers are taken to the Early Start unit which provides motor skills and cognitive development and disease screening and offers classes for parents.
The hospital performs bariatric surgery and head and neck surgery on top of standard surgery.
The hospital's standard departments and services are: Allergy, Gastroenterology, Pathology, Pediatrics, Cardiology, Podiatry, Hospitalists, Psychiatry, Radiology, Dermatology, Medicine, Dietician, Outpatient Services, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Oncology, Eye Clinic, and Orthopedics.
Richmond Medical Center has three on-site pharmacies and an on-site laboratory.
The hospital provides free shuttle service between 7 AM and 10 PM every 15 minutes to the Richmond BART/Amtrak station which is in walking distance. Many AC Transit bus lines and one Golden Gate Transit line are within a short walking distance as well.[4] Free parking is provided to visitors at a connected garage.