Twin Cities: Celebrating 40 years of caring for our communities

Posted: 4:12 pm, April 6, 2017 by Access Publishing

–On February 7, 1977, five months ahead of schedule and at a cost of $5 million, Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton began caring for patients in Northern San Luis Obispo County. With 84 beds, the new one-story hospital replaced two aging hospitals in North County — Atascadero General Hospital and Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital — thus the name, “Twin Cities.” Equipped with some of the newest and most sophisticated equipment available, Twin Cities attracted specialty physicians and far surpassed what had been available at the older two hospitals.

With continued population growth, a new tower was built in 2007 to mark the hospital’s 30th anniversary and better care for the needs of the community. This construction changed the entire façade of the building and brought the total number of beds to 122. Now, with a medical staff of more than 200 physicians (10 times the original number) and 400 caregivers and support staff, the three-story hospital specializes in emergency care, obstetrics, orthopedics, and a broad array of medical, surgical and outpatient services.

Commitment to quality

At Twin Cities, the focus in on providing a safe and welcoming environment to everyone served and to delivering high-quality care to all patients. Committed to the highest standards of hospital quality to ensure that all receive the best care possible, the first priority is always the safety of patients.

Twin Cities has earned an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Score from The Leapfrog Group every consecutive year since the Score was first launched in 2012. An ‘A’ grade is one of the most meaningful honors a hospital can achieve, and one of the most valuable indicators for patients looking for a safe place to receive care. To date, fewer than 200 hospitals across the country have achieved consecutive ‘A’ ratings.

“We are focused on continually improving care delivery and patient satisfaction,” said Twin Cities CEO Mark Lisa. “Our clinical leadership regularly reviews our patient care processes and compares our data to nationally-recognized benchmarks and best practices. Nothing is more important to us than offering our patients trusted care in a safe environment.”

Distinctions and awards

Twin Cities Community Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® with distinction for its knee replacement program by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for healthcare quality and safety in disease-specific care. In addition, the hospital is recognized as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery. This specialty care recognition identifies healthcare facilities with proven expertise in delivering specialty care.

Twin Cities Community Hospital has been named a 2016 Performance Excellence Award winner by The Collaborative Alliance for Nursing Outcomes (CALNOC) for its exemplary work in reducing hospital-acquired conditions. It is also recognized as a 2014 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission for attaining and sustaining excellence in heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, venous thromboembolism (VTE) and stroke.

In 2015, Baby-Friendly USA designated Twin Cities Community Hospital as an internationally recognized Baby-Friendly birth facility. This achievement means the hospital is using some of the most effective methods known to help moms succeed at breastfeeding. The hospital also has the lowest Cesarean-section rate of any hospital on the Central Coast and one of the lowest rates in the state.

Community impact