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6 Living Well
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Simi Valley Hospital
New emergency
and surgery
facilities debut
Simi Valley Hospital celebrated the completion of
phase 1 of its Emergency Services and Hospital
Expansion Project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on
March 12 for the recently completed new portion of
the facility.
More than 200 people attended the event, including
Simi Valley Mayor Bob Huber, Moorpark Mayor Janice
Parvin and representatives of both city councils. Other
special guests included Herbert Harder, MD, who was
among the first physicians to practice at Simi Valley
Hospital, and Kant Tucker, MD, and Irma Harriman, MD,
the physician couple who donated $1 million to
the project and for whom the new Thakkar Family
Emergency Pavilion is named.
Moorpark Chamber lauds Simi Valley
Hospital for community service
Simi Valley Hospital has been named the 2014 Large Business of the Year by the Moorpark Chamber
of Commerce. The hospital has been a Chamber member for 31 years.
The award was presented at the organization’s 100th anniversary awards and installation dinner
on January 24. Michelle Foster, president of the Simi Valley Hospital Foundation, accepted the
award on behalf of the hospital.
Simi Valley Hospital is a rare second-time winner, having also received the award in 2011.
WHEN ERIN BAKKER
and her family returned
to Simi Valley Hospital’s Emergency Department
on April 15, it was with grateful hearts. Unlike most
people who come to the emergency room, they were
not there to seek medical treatment—not this time, at
least—but to say thank you for everyone’s help during
the scariest day of Bakker’s life.
On March 6, the room Bakker was in started moving.
Soon the 40-year-old mother of three felt faint. Before she
knew it, she was slumped over, unable to talk or move.
Bakker was experiencing a stroke inside Grace Brethren
Church where her husband, Jordan, is a pastor. A fire-
fighter who was also there called for medical help,
and Bakker was rushed to Simi Valley Hospital.
Bakker’s care team—including Simi Valley neurologist
Jeffrey Mora, MD, and the staff in the hospital’s
Emergency Department—went right to work to
prevent as much damage as possible from the stroke.
Thankfully, the prompt attention enabled Bakker to
endure the ordeal without any severe side effects.
Gratitude and awareness
About 60 people attended the April 15 luncheon at the
hospital, which was held not only for Bakker to say thank
you but also to raise awareness within the community of
the critical importance of identifying stroke symptoms
and getting medical help as soon as possible.
Simi Valley Hospital is certified as a primary stroke
center by The Joint Commission, the nation’s leading
independent health care quality certification organi-
zation. In addition, the hospital is a provider with the
Ventura County EMS stroke network.
Quick response saves
Simi Valley mom from
life-threatening attack
Erin Bakker, along with her husband and their
daughters, returned to Simi Valley Hospital on
April 15 to say thank you to the first responders
(pictured) and Emergency Department team who
saved her life when she had a stroke in March.
Representatives from the Simi Valley and Moorpark
governments, along with Simi Valley Hospital
leadership, medical staff, employees, donors and
others, took part in the ceremonial ribbon-cutting on
March 12 to officially open the expanded section of
the Emergency Department and new surgical suite.
News
The big reveal
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the building,
guests were invited inside to get their first look at the
beautiful new facility. Members of the Emergency
Department team were on hand to point out the fea-
tures of the facility and answer questions.
The Emergency Pavilion encompasses
5,000 square feet of new emergency care space,
bringing the number of patient beds from 10 to 20. The
top floor of the building is home to a new, state-of-
the-art operating room, with additional space for two
more operating rooms to be built in the future.
In the next phase of the project, which is now
underway, the existing Emergency Department is
being remodeled to match the design and function-
ality of the new part of the building. There are plans in
the works for a community-wide celebration when all
phases of the project have been completed.