Hospital brings rehab care and jobs to downtown Modesto

About 16 months after opening its doors, a downtown Modesto hospital is filled with patients and has almost 400 employees on its payroll, the chief executive officer said.

Central Valley Specialty Hospital, at 17th and H streets, provides long-term acute care at a time when medical centers are penalized financially for Medicare patients who are discharged and then readmitted within a month for additional treatment.

Chief Executive Officer Gia Smith said the 100-bed Modesto facility is positioned regionally as part of the continuum of care for those patients. It is getting patient referrals from hospitals in Stanislaus and nearby counties, as well as hospitals in the Bay Area, including Stanford Medical Center, Smith said.

Central Valley opened in July 2013 in the former Modesto City Hospital with 36 long-term acute care beds and 64 skilled nursing beds. The LTAC section was expanded to 80 beds in April; today, all but four of the hospital’s 100 beds are used for long-term acute care.

The hospital opened with a reported 194 employees but has more than doubled that number, putting almost 400 health workers in Modesto’s downtown. Smith said the owner and investors have spent $32 million on building upgrades, equipment and furnishings, such as adjustable beds that allow some patients to sit up and breathe easier.

She said building and equipping a new facility would have cost in the neighborhood of $80 million. By investing in the three-story building, Central Valley helped to revitalize the downtown, she said.

Long-term acute is a level of care between skilled nursing and the general acute care provided at hospitals such as Memorial and Doctors medical centers. It often involves rehabilitative therapy for patients recovering from stroke, trauma injuries, neurological disease or other disabling illness.

Central Valley also specializes in wound management, weaning patients off ventilators and care for patients with spinal cord injuries, infectious disease and heart problems.

Lisa Hull, coordinator of infectious disease control, said employees are assisted with upgrading their nursing licenses and work classifications.

Josefina Flores, a former certified nursing assistant, earned a certification to work with patients needing rehabilitative care. “I like to help the patients to get better and get back to their normal lives,” Flores said. “We can see the day-to-day progress of the patients.”

Not all of the patients at Central Valley are seniors in the Medicare program.

Roberto Mendez, 47, has been recovering for two months from injuries suffered in a vehicle accident. When he’s not in therapy sessions to strengthen his arms and legs, Mendez likes to walk the halls, talk with other patients and watch soccer on television, he said.

Todd Winters of Ripon said his wife, Judy, is slowly improving with rehab therapy after suffering a debilitating stroke. If she continues to make progress, he hopes she can return home next month for the holidays.

“It is just going to take time,” Winters said.

About 50 doctors and specialists come through the doors to see patients at Central Valley. In addition, hospital staff said support from families seems to help with the healing process for patients.

The hospital makes accommodations for patients to visit with family in dining areas. On occasion, patients are allowed to have visits from their pets, Smith said.

The CEO was appointed last month to the long-term care governing council of the American Hospital Association. The council advises the association on policy and emerging issues.

Smith praises Central Valley’s health care providers for their care of patients such as Mary Dover of Turlock, who was put on a ventilator because of lung disease. Dover was gradually taken off the ventilator and was doing light workouts last week in the rehab center.

While respiration is needed to save the lives of the critically ill, patients who stay on a ventilator are at risk of pneumonia and other complications. Weaning them off the machine is a careful process of reducing the oxygen and knowing how well the patients are breathing on their own.

“This doesn’t happen instantly,” said Dr. David Lyon of Central Valley Specialty Hospital. “Baby steps are key around here.”

This story was originally published November 30, 2014 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Hospital brings rehab care and jobs to downtown Modesto."