St. Mary's new campus scheduled to open in 2016

VICTORVILLE • To accommodate the increasing population and needs for medical services in the High Desert, St. Mary Medical Center is scheduled to open a near 100-acre Victorville campus in January 2016.

The $250 million campus will be built between Bear Valley Road and Main Street west of Interstate 15, where St. Mary’s bought 98 acres in 2007.

The new campus will add 128 hospital beds to St. Mary’s existing 202 beds in Apple Valley.

The High Desert has an average of 1.1 hospital beds per 1,000 population compared to 1.9 in California and 2.7 nationwide, according to data provided by St. Mary’s.

“We know that the High Desert needs increasing access to hospital beds,” said Randy Bevilacqua, spokesperson for St. Mary’s.

The population in the desert is estimated to grow by 42 percent between 2008 and 2018, Bevilacqua said, and most of it will take place in the western part of the Victor Valley.

St. Mary’s serves 183 patients per day in Apple Valley on average, and that could increase to about 255 when the Victorville hospital opens, Bevilacqua said.

He said two hospitals are expected to employ a total of about 2,340 people. About 1,500 work at the Apple Valley hospital now.

The Victorville campus will also provide wellness facilities and retail space, according to the site plan. Bevilacqua said the hospital interviewed local residents to listen to their needs.

The formal groundbreaking of the Victorville campus is scheduled for this winter, he said.

The Daily Press reported in 2007 that the new campus could open as early as 2011, but Bevilacqua said it’s been delayed due to variety of reasons including the economy, due diligence and market dynamics.

Tomoya Shimura may be reached at (760) 955-5368 or TShimura@VVDailyPress.com. Follow Tomoya on Facebook at facebook.com/ShimuraTomoya.

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