Giving to grow is what three physician groups have done in the last few months to help bring Clovis Community Medical Center’s expansion closer to its objective. Each medical group contributed $100,000 to the project.

Upon completion of the $300 million project in fall 2013, Clovis Community will be the first comprehensive, full-service hospital in the region to have all private rooms, nearly tripling in size to 739,000 square feet. The expansion calls for a new, five-story bed tower, a dedicated women’s pavilion, a special care nursery and a new parking garage. The emergency department also will be expanded to accommodate a projected 50,000 patient visits annually.

Framing of the five-story bed-tower was completed this summer and a new parking garage is expected to open next month at the hospital.

It didn’t take the Community Hospitalists Medical Group (CHMG) long to know being a part of Clovis Community’s expansion was a win-win situation according to Dr. Bao Nguyen, medical director of CHMG.

“By helping Clovis Community, we’re helping everyone who needs medical care in this Valley,” Dr. Nguyen said. “This growth is exactly what the Clovis community needs and this hospital is certainly doing its part to meet their needs. We want to be a part of that.”

CHMG are physicians who work full time in the hospitals and specialize in coordinating a patient’s care while they are in the hospital. Having these experts in-house helps expedite care for patients. The hospitalist group, which was formed nine years ago, has about 50 physicians who serve patients in Community’s three acute-care hospitals.

The group of 23 anesthesiologists who serve Community’s three hospitals also know firsthand how crucial the expansion of Clovis Community is for the Valley.

“They live it every day,” said Carolyn Larsen, executive director of Community Anesthesia Providers/ Community Regional Anesthesia Medical Providers, which gave $100,000 to the Clovis expansion campaign. “The growth out there is amazing and they see the potential for the operating rooms to be completely impacted without this expansion….We know the better the facility, the bigger the surgery department, the better for patients and for doctors.”

The anesthesiologists group has seen the increase in surgery volumes, with Clovis doing nearly 1,000 surgeries a month now. “Because we are supported so strongly by the whole Community Medical Centers network,” Larsen explained. “We are committed to supporting the system back with these kinds of gifts.”
For Community Medical Providers (CMP), it’s been a decade of support for Community Medical Centers with its latest $100,000 gift earmarked for the hospital expansion. The group of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants has been in practice since 1996 with 14 facilities around the Valley.

“There is a need for more beds in this area to provide more access so our patients can stay locally,” said Dr. Grant Nakamura, CMP medical director.  “We believe in the supporting our community and this gift is a tangible way we can serve the patients in our region.”

Dr. Nakamura said CMP clinicians have always been interested in giving back to those they serve.

“We are very thankful to have a career in health care and the opportunity to serve our patients,” he said. “You should share and give back – especially to those with a need in your community.”

Dr. Nakamura said their patients have had good experiences at Clovis Community in the past and he expects the expansion to enhance care and access for the growing population in this area.

This story was reported by Mary Lisa Russell. She can be reached at medwatchtoday@communitymedical.org.