CLEARLAKE – For years, it's been known as Redbud Community Hospital, but that's about to end.

Adventist Health officials announced late Friday that Redbud Community Hospital is undergoing a name change, and will henceforth be known as St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake

The new name becomes effect on Nov. 3, at which time the hospital will hold an inauguration ceremony on its campus to honor the past and celebrate the future.

Hospital administration said the switch is meant to better reflect the joint operating partnership between St. Helena Hospital in Napa County and St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake. Under that agreement, the hospitals coordinate a comprehensive spectrum of health care services for Napa, Lake, Solano, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

“This process began more than two years ago as the two hospitals aligned their governing board, executive team, operations and many regional positions,” said JoAline Olson, the hospital's president and chief executive officer. “St. Helena Hospital has an excellent reputation in Lake, Napa and surrounding counties and is known for its high quality patient care and patient satisfaction, as well as its centers of excellence.”

Linda Gibson, senior vice president of operations at Redbud and a longtime senior administrator at St. Helena Hospital, said, “With the name change, we are extending the St. Helena brand and reputation to Lake County and strengthening our position as a regional provider of health care services.”

St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake is investing approximately $10 million in new and upgraded facilities in Lake County, including an emergency department expansion, remodeled surgery suites, a sophisticated electronic medical records system, a new hospital front entrance, new equipment, and a new family health center in Kelseyville.

In addition to being the second largest employer in Lake County, the hospital provided the following services last year: 76,000 rural health clinic visits, 57,000 outpatient visits, 15,000 emergency department visits and 1,600 in-patient visits.

Both St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake and Napa's St. Helena Hospital are part of the 19-hospital network of Adventist Health, a nonprofit, faith-based health system operating in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.

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