Recently a flurry of activity has been going on at the Ojai Valley Community Hospital. That’s because the initial phase of modernizing the 52-year old hospital has begun.

A new roof, and new air conditioning and heating units, have been installed as a part of a plan to bring the hospital into compliance with state-mandated earthquake safety standards. Besides meeting these safety standards, the new heating and air units are a long-anticipated improvement that staff, patients and visitors alike will certainly appreciate as Ojai Valley temperatures routinely dip in the winter and heat up again come summertime.

Inside, the hospital’s 4-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was remodeled. New flooring, an improved staff work station, and ceiling braces were installed in the 1,630-square-foot ICU. These enhancements will help the hospital meet seismic laws through 2030.

In the coming years, Ojai residents will see many changes at the 37-bed hospital and its adjacent 66-bed Continuing Care Center, as Community Memorial Health System moves forward with its facility master plan to modernize these two facilities. The next phase of the master plan is a major remodel of the hospital’s façade—the first such undertaking since OVCH was built in 1960.

One of the most important projects to be undertaken will be improvements to the 66-bed skilled nursing facility. The health system is exploring the best solution for our Continuing Care Center, a facility that provides inpatient programs and therapy treatments for both short- and long-term placement.