The advantages of a full-service community hospital

Long-time residents of San Pedro know their town wouldn’t be the same without their hospital. Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro makes a big impact, serving its community for nearly 95 years, as a full-service hospital focusing on comprehensive, personalized care.

“Our patients don’t just think of it as a hospital in town, they think of it as their hospital,” says Moshe Faynsod, MD, a surgical oncologist who’s chief of staff at the hospital and an assistant clinical professor in the department of surgery at City of Hope.

“There’s this tremendous loyalty to the hospital because patients feel that there’s a vested interest in them as individuals and in San Pedro as a community.”

Providing a breadth of services to meet the community’s needs is essential to Providence’s mission.

“Our goal is to ensure that the San Pedro community has access to a full-service acute care hospital within their community,” says Garry Olney, chief executive, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers, San Pedro and Torrance.

The medical center offers the community diagnostic imaging, laboratory and pathology, 24-hour emergency care, intensive care, surgical care including robotic, and minimally invasive surgery. We specialize in bariatric (weight loss) surgery, urology, orthopedics, general and cancer surgery, gynecologic, gastroenterology, ear, nose and throat surgery, cardiology, pulmonology, women’s services and many specialty programs including acute rehabilitation, complex post-acute care, and behavioral health care including recovery from addiction.

“With two medical centers in the South Bay, we have combined our expertise to ensure that both centers have access to top physician groups,” says Dr. Faynsod. “We now have the same radiology, anesthesiology and pathology groups working at both medical centers.”

Many surgeons and specialists—including Dr. Faynsod and his City of Hope colleagues in medical and radiation oncology—have privileges at both hospitals to ensure continuity of care.

Moreover, Providence has just completed a multimillion-dollar construction project at San Pedro to meet the State of California requirement for seismic (earthquake) compliance. Currently, the emergency department has begun a large $8 million-dollar expansion and remodeling project to meet the needs of a growing community and waterfront expansion.

“Our emergency department team does such a fabulous job of taking care of the broad spectrum of patients that make their way here,” Olney says. “With close proximity to Palos Verdes and the Harbor communities, the hospital takes care of patients from the community as well as those working in the Port of Los Angeles and travelers coming in on cruise ships and shipping vessels. from all over the world.”

Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro emergency department is also certified for pediatric care and was the first hospital in the South Bay to become a primary stroke center.

The hospital provides a broad range of surgical services, including the addition of the latest da Vinci robot for minimally invasive robotic procedures, says Jane Neri, executive director of surgical services and cardiovascular services at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers San Pedro and Torrance.

Many gynecologic, urologic, abdominal and complex colon surgeries are performed via robotic-assisted surgery, she says.

The medical center has grown its surgical staff with the addition of physicians from the Association of South Bay Surgeons. In addition, a new bariatric surgeon is now servicing San Pedro while City of Hope surgeons provide cancer-related services.

A broad range of orthopedic procedures continue to be provided.

“When you have surgery, you want to be close to home," Neri says. "We have comprehensive surgical services right here in the community.”

In the event patients need a higher level of care—such as cardiac surgery or catheterization—they can rely on thehospital’s critical-care transport service. “Our staff has the ability to identify that need and get patients over to our Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance Medical Center in an expedited manner,” says Dr. Faynsod.

For the third year in a row, both the San Pedro and Torrance hospitals received A ratings on patient safety from Leapfrog. “It says a lot for a community hospital to have that level of care that’s recognized by groups that are specifically looking at the safety of care,” says Dr. Faynsod.

With more than 90 years of service, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro has long been a source of community pride.

“You see that not only in patients but also in the employees,” he adds. “There’s a sense of belonging, a sense of mission and a sense of pride, and that’s very unique.” 

QUALITY CARE FROM A TO Z

Services at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro include:

• Acute rehabilitation
• Anesthesiology
• Bariatric surgery (new service line)
• Behavioral health (inpatient and outpatient, chemical dependency unit)
• Cancer care (City of Hope)
• Cardiology
• Emergency department
• Intensive care unit
• Labor and delivery unit
• Mammography
• Pathology (lab, blood work)
• Pharmacy
• Subacute care center
• Telemetry and Med/Surg

ON THE HORIZON: A REMODELED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Work is underway to expand the emergency department at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro. The $8 million project will meet the changing needs of the community by adding 60% more space. The number of beds will increase from 16 to 28. The design of the remodeled unit provides more privacy for patients and additional waiting space for family and friends, including a beautiful outdoor space.

On any given day, the ED may see up to 150 patients. The remodeled unit will create designated areas for critically ill patients, lower-acuity patients, and patients in need of mental health care. The work is being completed in phases so that the emergency department remains open during construction.