HOSPITAL UPDATE: Marin General Hospital: A Bright Future

Gregg Tolliver, MD, MPH

Artist rendering of the new hospital exterior.

This is an exciting time to be practicing medicine at Marin General Hospital. Construction of our new state-of-the-art hospital has begun, and now that we see some definite changes—a new parking structure and a redesigned hospital entrance for example—clinicians are starting to feel very enthusiastic about practicing in our new facility.

As they should! The new building project, called MGH 2.0, will greatly enhance Marin General Hospital’s status as the North Bay’s premier health care facility. MGH 2.0 consists of twin four-story hospital towers, all private rooms built for patient-centric care, safety and efficiency. The green design includes five new solariums, 13 spacious new operating rooms, an expanded ICU, and state-of-the-art emergency department—triple the size of our present one. With the goal of Marin County’s good health in mind, we look forward to the new hospital being completed in 2020. More information and ongoing updates about the project are available on our website, www.mgh2.org.

We are equally enthusiastic about what is going on inside the hospital. Several strategic relationships are bringing the best physicians and resources to Marin General Hospital. We now collaborate with UCSF on four excellent programs: neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, pediatrics and neonatal care. For vascular surgery we teamed up with Stanford Health Care. Marin General Hospital and the Marin Healthcare District work in concert with local physicians to make certain that primary and specialty care (cardiology, urology, endocrinology, internal medicine and vascular surgery) are available in our community. Our homegrown adult, pediatric and OB-GYN hospitalist programs ensure that the best doctors possible are at the bedside when patients need them most. As an infectious disease physician, I’m proud to work with the dedicated health care providers at Marin County Department of Public Health, Marin Division of Health and Human Services, and Marin Community Clinics to help provide best-quality care for the entire range of patients in our county, from those with the greatest socioeconomic constraints to those with many resources.

We are also excited about the hospital’s recent strategic partnership with Royal Philips, a Netherlands-based health care technology company that will provide Marin General Hospital with early and continual access to advanced medical technologies including imaging systems, patient monitoring, telehealth and clinical informatics solutions, as well as clinical education, and consulting and design services. The partnership, the first of its kind between Philips and an independent community hospital in this country, will result in our patients having access to the best technology possible to support their care.

Although our medical staff is independent of hospital administration, we work in concert to ensure that hospital operations are run compassionately, safely and effectively. Hospital administration has vigorously supported new initiatives such as the hospital-wide Operation Safety program, the success of which is reflected in the hospital’s third consecutive “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group, an independent industry watchdog organization that rates how well hospitals protect patients from medical errors. Other initiatives include programs to promote hand hygiene and antimicrobial stewardship. We even have a new robot that helps sterilize patient rooms with UV light. We are also very proud of the fact that more than 90% of our hospital staff and physicians were vaccinated against influenza this year. This was no easy task. Many brave staff rolled up their sleeves and got vaccinated for the first time in years. This reflects our organization’s growing knowledge that what we do in our hospital has profound effects on the health of the entire population of Marin.

As chief of staff, I’d like to thank the entire medical staff for the compassionate, get-healthy, stay-healthy care they provide the residents of our county. I’d also like to recognize them for the high quality of care they provide. Major rating and accreditation agencies such as Healthgrades, Leapfrog and the Joint Commission continue to recognize us with the highest-level awards for safety and quality. More than 200 of our physicians were named 2015 “Top Docs” by Marin Magazine and other regional publications.

These awards and recognitions for exceptional patient care and superiority in clinical excellence showcase the talents and skills of the hospital’s physicians and staff as well as reinforce Marin General Hospital’s commitment to excellence in patient care and safety.

High-level awards for quality patient care, access to state-of-the-art technology, and a major expansion and modernization project mean Marin General Hospital is well on its way to becoming the North Bay’s leading health care destination. For ongoing updates on our journey, visit us at www.maringeneral.org.

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Dr. Tolliver is chief of staff at Marin General Hospital.
Email: tollivg@maringeneral.org