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DESERT REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
multi-specialty hospital providing
advanced technology in the
heart of historic Palm Springs
In 1948, a committee of the City of Palm Springs opened its first community
hospital on the grounds of the El Mirador Hotel, creating a new health care
option for residents who previously were traveling to facilities in Indio,
Loma Linda or Riverside to receive care.
From one building with 33 beds, Desert Regional Medical Center has grown
into a multi-specialty campus with 387 licensed beds, offering some of the
latest technology for the treatment of heart disease, stroke, cancer and
many other serious illnesses. The hospital remains home to the region’s
only neonatal intensive care unit for premature infants and its only designated trauma center, caring for the seriously ill and injured from a wide
region of Southern California. Desert Regional also is one of the Coachella Valley’s largest employers, with more than 2,000 staff and contractors
working on its main hospital campus at 1150 N. Indian Canyon Drive.
Desert Regional continues to add technology and expand services so desert residents can enjoy some of the
most advanced treatments without leaving their beautiful Coachella Valley. Recent growth has included:
UCR School of Medicine
Desert Regional Medical Center has affiliated with the University of California – Riverside School
of Medicine to train future generations of physicians for the Coachella Valley. This year, six full-time
faculty of the UCR School of Medicine began practice near the hospital’s main campus. Desert Regional
plans to welcome its first class of graduate medical residents in 2015. The hospital has been a supporter of academic medicine for many years, hosting medical residents in the fields of neurosurgery,
pharmacy and emergency medicine. Academic medicine not only promises to bring future physicians
to the Coachella Valley, it also affords current patients the expertise of knowledgeable faculty who train
doctors in a hospital environment.
Advanced Heart Treatment
In 2013, Desert Regional added new robotic technology
to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib) and other heart rhythm
disorders, which may reduce or eliminate the need for
drug therapies in some patients. Desert Regional Medical
Center is the first hospital in the Coachella Valley to offer the technology, called Stereotaxis Robotic Navigation.
This technology enhances a specially trained cardiologist’s ability to navigate a catheter precisely through the
blood vessels to treat problem cells that are causing the
heart’s electrical system to misfire. The magnetic system
allows the cardiologist to steer the catheter through the heart using a joystick and computerized navigation system, rather than moving the catheter by hand. According to a recent study, Stereotaxis technology is 10 times less likely to injure a patient than manual treatments that do not use robotic navigation,
and the process requires about one-third less time exposed to X-ray radiation.
AFib is a serious illness. When the heart cannot move blood properly, it may pool in the chambers
of the heart and blood clots may form. AFib may cause heart failure or stroke, which happens when a
clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain. Strokes are a leading cause of disability and death in America.
Stroke Center & Interventional Neurology
Since receiving Advanced Certification as a Primary Stroke Center from the Joint Commission,
Desert Regional Medical Center has continued to expand its stroke-related services, adding specialists
in neurology and neuro-critical care, establishing an academic fellowship in interventional neurology
and installing new technology to treat clots and aneurysms deep within the brain.
When a person exhibits symptoms of a stroke,
timely care is critical. Equally important is receiving
appropriate care by professionals who are specialty
trained to manage stroke and acute neurological
conditions. As a designated stroke center, Desert
Regional Medical Center’s advanced stroke services
include delivery of IV medication, as well as interventional neurological procedures to remove clots
or treat bleeding. The hospital has a 7-bed neurological intensive care un it dedicated for stroke and
acute neurological patients.
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An ICON in Orthopedics
The physicians at Desert Regional’s Institute of Clinical Orthopedics & Neurosciences (ICON) provide
advanced treatments for stroke and neurologic care.
ICON also includes orthopedic specialists who provide
joint replacement and other procedures at Desert Regional, which is the only hospital in the Coachella Valley to have received advanced certification in hip and
knee replacement, and in spine surgery, from the Joint
Commission, the foremost national accrediting body for hospital organizations. In 2011, the hospital
opened a specialized Joint & Spine Pavilion, where patients can recover from joint and spine procedures
surrounded by specially trained nurses and patients with similar conditions. The unit also has a therapy
gym, where patients can begin rehabilitation within hours of undergoing their procedure.
Comprehensive Cancer Care
Since 1989, the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional Medical Center has helped
thousands of patients and their families navigate
the challenges of cancer. A multidisciplinary team
approach is the hallmark of the center’s comprehensive model. Physicians regularly meet to discuss cases and collectively determine the best
treatment recommendations for patients. The
Comprehensive Cancer Center’s team provides a range of services from screening and diagnosis through
treatment and follow-up care.
The multidisciplinary team includes medical, surgical, gynecologic, and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, nurses, pharmacists and laboratory professionals. A unified electronic medical
record allows all treating clinicians instant access to a patient’s information.
Focused on treating the whole person, there also is a medical psychologist to offer support for the
emotional aspects of dealing with cancer, a dietitian to offer nutritional counseling and social workers
to assist with practical matters such as transportation to and from treatments and referral to community
organizations that provide financial assistance.
Honoring the Past, Envisioning the Future
The buildings of the original El Mirador Hotel have been replaced by a modern hospital campus,
but the spirit of Palm Springs’ famous luxury resort lives on visually in the picturesque bell tower
that still graces the entrance. Erected in 1990 after a fire destroyed the original structure, the El
Mirador building and its renowned bell tower were reproduced using the original 1927 floor plans.
The building was renamed for major donors Jerry & Thelma Stergios and now houses the Joslin
Diabetes Affiliate clinic, a gym for former patients and employees, and the offices of the Desert
Healthcare District, which have been owners of the hospital since 1951.
Desert Regional Medical Center is now operated by Tenet Healthcare Inc., which continues to
invest in services and patient care so that Desert Regional remains the hospital you trust to care for
those you love. For more, visit DesertRegional.com