Adventist Health to manage Dameron Hospital

To expand healthcare choices and access in the Stockton area, Adventist Health will manage Dameron Hospital starting Jan. 1, 2020, under an agreement between the nonprofit healthcare organizations, Dameron Hospital Board President Bill Trezza announced on Dec. 18.

“Dameron leadership and staff want to do more for their community, and this agreement makes that possible,” Trezza said. “Adventist Health has expanded and improved healthcare services in Lodi since joining the community in 2015, and we’re eager to build San Joaquin County healthcare services together.”

Dameron, a 202-bed medical center, chose Adventist Health to manage the hospital because the two organizations share a commitment to community and because Adventist Health brings the expertise and resources of a large healthcare system to Stockton, said Lorraine Auerbach, Dameron president and CEO. “We’re excited to welcome Adventist Health to our community. This agreement will secure a stable, viable future for Dameron Hospital.”

Dameron Hospital leaders and board members have found an ideal partner in Adventist Health after a years-long search, Auerbach said. “With the many changes and challenges in healthcare, being connected to a system offers many advantages for a freestanding hospital like Dameron.”

Roseville-based Adventist Health operates 21 hospitals, more than 280 medical offices, home care services and retirement centers in rural and urban communities in California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii with a workforce of 37,000. Since Lodi Memorial joined the faith-based, nonprofit system, the medical center’s emergency visits have risen by 60% and its inpatient stays by 30%.

Adventist Health is honored to have been selected for this agreement, said Daniel Wolcott, president of Adventist Health Lodi Memorial. “Dameron has a heritage of healthcare excellence, and we look forward to building on that.”

During the management period, Adventist Health will work towards a more formal affiliation that would benefit the hospital and community. If that path is taken, the attorney general will be asked to approve Dameron joining Adventist Health.

With the change, Auerbach will step aside effective Dec. 31, after seven years with the organization, but will remain available in a consulting capacity to support the board as this relationship moves forward. “It’s been a true pleasure to serve this community with our excellent team and physicians,” she said. “I’m excited to be able to provide a future for Dameron Hospital, even though I must step aside to make this happen. I have been working to make this positive outcome occur for Dameron during my entire tenure here, and I am very excited to see this come to fruition.”

Under Auerbach’s leadership, the hospital identified and implemented a partnership to assure a viable future for Dameron. The hospital also raised the bar on quality services, partnered with Stanford Health in offering expanded cardiac surgery and stroke treatment programs and established itself as the leading orthopedic hospital in the area, earning numerous quality distinctions for its joint replacement programs. In addition, Dameron became a designated center of excellence for its bariatric weight loss program. In 2018, Dameron Hospital opened its new Dameron Medical Plaza on March Lane featuring its Occupational Health Services Department.

Wolcott, who has more than 20 years of hospital leadership experience in California, Tennessee and Florida, will serve as president of Dameron as well as Adventist Health Lodi Memorial. He currently serves on the board of several local community organizations including Business Council of San Joaquin, Lodi Area Chamber of Commerce and San Joaquin Community Health Leadership Council. He is passionate about elevating communities by focusing on economic, education and workforce development. He also serves as founding president of the board of HealthForce Partners, which was formed to create career pathway opportunities in San Joaquin County to prepare skilled workers for healthcare careers.

About Dameron Hospital

Dameron Hospital is a fully accredited, non-profit, 202-bed community hospital providing acute and tertiary level care to San Joaquin County residents. Its commitment to providing the highest quality care has earned Dameron Hospital various state and national recognitions, as well as numerous awards and accolades. The hospital has also been designated by Blue Shield of California as a Blue Distinction® Center for Bariatric Surgery and for Knee and Hip Replacements as part of the Blue Distinction® Centers for Specialty Care program. In addition to being a top-rated joint replacement center in the Stockton area, and the county's leading orthopedic hospital, Dameron has also been recognized as a Top Performer for its Quality Metrics by The Joint Commission. Dameron services include cardiology and cardiac surgery, orthopedics, bariatric surgery, as well as general acute care, emergency, and intensive care services. Dameron also provides primary care at its on-site Ambulatory Care Center. For more information, visit DameronHospital.org.

About Adventist Health

Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Its compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God's love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, it is transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing.