Large-Scale Expansion Of Temecula Valley Hospital Moves Forward

TEMECULA, CA — Temecula Valley Hospital continues to move forward on a major expansion plan, and the community will soon get a chance to weigh in on any environmental concerns.

Hospital officials announced Tuesday that a master plan update has been submitted to the city of Temecula for an Environmental Impact Report that will be opened for public review in June. Presentations to the Temecula Planning Commission are slated to take place in October. The EIR will then be submitted to City Council in December for signoff, according to a news release.

The proposed expansion now includes the construction of a new 120-bed freestanding facility for behavioral health services; increasing the number of emergency treatment bays from 21 to 30; and providing additional training space for the hospital's Graduate Medical Education Residency program.

A new medical office building is also proposed that will expand the hospital’s ambulatory services to support the Cardiology and Neurosciences Center. The new medical office building will also include a cardiac ambulatory surgery center, wound care center and pulmonology/cardiac rehab clinic, according to hospital officials.

Plans are also underway for a new four-story tower with 82 patient beds with expanded ICU and stroke services.

"The master facility plan was designed to address and serve the healthcare needs of the community for years to come," according to the news release.

Temecula Valley Hospital opened in the fall of 2013 with a 140-bed tower at 31700 Temecula Parkway. It currently has five cardiac cath labs, five operating rooms and an endoscopy suite, among other features. The facility now employs 900 people, according to hospital officials.

“We have been strategically planning for this expansion of TVH on its 37-acre property from the very start and we are excited to be at a point where we can share our vision with key stakeholders and the community,” said Darlene Wetton, CEO of Temecula Valley Hospital. “As our local and surrounding populations continue to grow, so too must our hospital to support the increasing health needs of our communities."

Wetton continued, "During the pandemic, we realized that we needed to rethink our approach to healthcare and the services we provide for our patients. The addition of a behavioral health hospital is integral to TVH becoming a comprehensive system of care for our community and the region.”

Temecula Valley Hospital is also "committed to increasing the number of physicians in the region," Wetton added.

"Our city has grown; our region has grown and TVH is prepared to grow alongside it and deliver high-quality care that the community can trust," she said.

A notice of preparation of a draft EIR for the hospital's master plan update was received by the state on March 11, and an initial public scoping meeting about the expansion was held March 23.

Last fall, multi-million dollar expansions and renovations began at Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrieta and Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar. The expansions will total nearly $450 million and create more than 1,000 new jobs, according to hospital officials. The expansions are necessary to keep up with Southwest Riverside County's growing population, according to dignitaries who were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremonies. Read more: Massive $450M Hospital Expansions Begin In Murrieta, Wildomar

Inland Valley and Rancho Springs medical centers are part of the Southwest Healthcare System, which falls under the Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services, Inc. umbrella. Temecula Valley Hospital is also owned and operated by a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc.