FAIRFIELD — A battle between two health care giants in Solano County ended in the best way imaginable for county residents with not one, but two Level II trauma centers to care for seriously injured people – one in Fairfield and one in Vacaville.
The trauma centers add to a healthy mix of hospitals and medical organizations that serve the county’s more than 430,000 residents and the tens of thousands of commuters who pass through the county on a daily basis.
NorthBay Healthcare will continue an expansion of existing facilities and services already in progress that include, by the time construction at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield is complete, more than 100,000 square feet of new medical facilities.
The Fairfield hospital, as it has routinely done over the years, is growing to match the continuing growth of the community, adding operating rooms, diagnostic facilities, labs and patient rooms.
The emergency department is also expanding, as is the hospital’s parking lot.
NorthBay Medical Center includes a Level II trauma center to handle some of the more seriously injured patients in the region. The health care organization’s hospital in Vacaville, VacaValley Hospital, is completing an expansion that features a state-of-the-art cancer center.
Medical services aren’t the only way NorthBay, which employs 2,500 people, is spreading itself across the community. The well-respected NorthBay Healthcare Foundation continues to broaden community-based philanthropic efforts to support nonprofit organizations throughout Solano County.
Napa Solano Kaiser Permanente is another major force in the community for medical services, employing nearly 6,400 workers and tending to more than 269,000 patients in the region.
Kaiser Permanente has hospital facilities in both Vacaville and Vallejo, each with certified stroke facilities. The hospital in Vallejo offers highly respected breast imaging services and a comprehensive rehabilitation center. Vacaville is home to a state-of-the-art family birth center and is also home to Solano County’s designated Level II trauma center.
Along with its award-winning medical services, Kaiser Permanente has also been very involved in philanthropic measures in communities throughout Solano County. That positive stewardship extends to the environment, as well, with Kaiser Permanente engaged in programs to increase recycling, eliminate mercury use and other waste and reduce the creation of different forms of pollution.
Solano County is home to a high number of active-duty service members, veterans and retirees served by David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, which provides a full range of medical services for people who are currently or have worn our nation’s uniform.
David Grant is a full-service teaching hospital and has the largest footprint when it comes to patient coverage area. The U.S. Air Force medical facility offers its services to more nearly 500,000 potential patients who in the northern San Francisco Bay Area.
One of David Grant’s qualities is the presence of the nearby Travis Fisher House, which is actually two houses. Combined, the two houses offer more than 18,000 square feet of living space available to offer a home-like environment to the families of service members who are undergoing major medical procedures at the hospital.
The Travis Fisher Houses are two of just 65 such facilities across the nation.
Sutter Solano is another recognized regional leader in health care. Sutter Solano has medical campus facilities in both Fairfield and Vacaville. In addition, their main hospital facility is located in Vallejo and that facility, known by other names over the years, has served Vallejo since 1921.
While the quality of care spans a range of medical disciplines, Sutter Solano is probably best recognized for its work in orthopedic surgery. Sutter doctors are among the region’s best when it comes to sports medicine, joint replacement, reconstruction and other orthopedic specialties.
Likewise, Sutter Solano has one of the region’s top cancer facilities, with a 20,000-square-foot center dedicated to both treatment and prevention.
Sutter Solano also puts a great deal of effort into the affordability of care. The group’s website, suttersolano.org, has a comprehensive series of tools to help patients understand how to maximize their health care coverage and the best options to help keep their out-of-pocket expenses as low as possible.
Solano County itself also offers a range of health services, from child welfare to mental health, substance abuse and more. Many of these services are often available at little to no charge.
The Solano County Department of Health and Human Services employs more than 1,200 workers at 22 different offices throughout the county. Complete information on the available services can be found at www.co.solano.ca.us/depts/hss.
Reach the Daily Republic newsroom at 425-4646.
