The Future of Healthcare on the Ridge

Healthcare on the Ridge September 2023 Update

A message from Chris Champlin, Market President for Butte, Sutter and Yuba Counties and Colleen Assavapisitkul, President, Adventist Health Clear Lake

At a July community meeting in Paradise regarding the future of healthcare on the Ridge, Adventist Health reaffirmed its commitment to providing quality healthcare in the community by outlining a path to grow and evolve as the new Paradise takes shape.

The team, led by Kerry L. Heinrich, President and CEO of Adventist Health, Eric Stevens, President, Northern California Network and Hawaii State Network, and Chris Champlin, Market President for Butte, Sutter and Yuba Counties, identified key initiatives, including improving the existing infrastructure on the Ridge, recruiting talented healthcare professionals to care for the community, and developing consistent communication to keep residents informed each step of the way.

We are pleased to provide an important update on each of these initiatives.

Access to Care
Since the community meeting, Adventist Health has welcomed several new providers to the Ridge to help improve access to essential care and stabilize clinic hours. This includes:

Samuel Sanjay Murala Samuel Murala, MD, Pain Management Specialist
Dr. Murala brings extensive experience with interventional and non-interventional approaches for pain management. He practices at both the Feather River Health Center at 5125 Skyway in Paradise and the Corning Health Center at 155 Solano Street in Corning.

Jill Antell, NP-C, Women’s Health
Jill Antell is certified as a women’s health nurse practitioner and brings nearly two decades of experience in caring for patients. She practices at the Paradise Medical Center at 6283 Clark Road, Suite 5 in Paradise.

Shannon Marie Haller-Baker

Shannon Haller-Baker, PA-C, Rapid Care Clinic
Haller-Baker's extensive experience in urgent care settings and her passion to help others to be safe and treated with respect are hallmarks of her practice. She practices at the Feather River Health Center at 5125 Skyway in Paradise.

Malgorzata Mordarska, PA-C, FNP-BC, Primary Care
“Mal” focuses on wellness and preventive medicine opportunities for her patients, helping them to find the compassionate support they need to make critical lifestyle changes. She practices at the Feather River Health Center at 5125 Skyway in Paradise.

Feather River Health Clinic Renovation Update
As communicated in the July community meeting, Adventist Health is currently under construction with a $2.4M renovation and expansion project at the Feather River Health Center on Skyway in Paradise. This initiative will create a larger, dedicated Rapid Care Clinic area, remodel the Primary Care Clinic to increase patient access and provider capacity and re-establish Women’s Imaging to offer mammography and bone density tests on the Ridge.

This important construction is currently on schedule, with a target completion date of early December 2023. Adventist Health looks forward to welcoming patients to the renovated spaces in early January 2024.

Feather River Hospital Campus Update
Adventist Health is both aware and appreciative of the community’s significant interest in the Feather River Hospital campus and its surrounding facilities. Adventist Health has assessed each building and is actively forming a demolition plan for facilities that have no pathway for future use. We will provide an update, including a timeline for this process, as soon as possible.

Once a demolition timeline is established, Adventist Health intends to provide an opportunity for community members and past and present associates to memorialize the hospital and its impact on the Ridge. We expect to provide additional details by early November.

Camp Fire Commemoration
As the fifth anniversary of the Camp Fire approaches, Adventist Health plans to commemorate the resiliency of the Ridge and its residents. Further updates will be provided to community members and associates promptly.

Commitment to Communication
Adventist Health is committed to delivering monthly updates on the progress of current as well as new initiatives on the Ridge, both across social media as well as this dedicated webpage highlighting on the ridge. Additional communications will be delivered to the community as appropriate. To download a copy of our September update, click here.

Adventist Health values this community and the direct and honest feedback we have received from the residents of Paradise. Questions for Adventist Health about healthcare on the Ridge can be directed to healthcareontheridge@ah.org.

Overview

Adventist Health is steadfast in its commitment to providing care that aligns with the needs of Paradise, the Ridge and future care delivery for rural communities. As part of the Camp Fire in 2018, Adventist Health Feather River experienced considerable structural and physical plant damage, rendering it inoperable and ultimately leading to its closure in November 2018. At this time, the area lacks an adequate population, a varied mix of payors, medical providers, and medical necessities to sustain the establishment of a new, fully operational hospital. And, as the community, and world, has changed dramatically since COVID-19, so too has our approach to care delivery, which ultimately has led to our decision not to rebuild the hospital. Our plan will evolve over time to adapt to the needs of our community and stay on pace with the rapidly changing world of healthcare. This is a strategy for the future that includes accessible, sustainable, and dependable healthcare for this community. One that provides the services that people can depend on while also securing stable, competitive careers for the healthcare workers in this area.
Services Provided
Adventist Health has worked tirelessly to reestablish a variety of core services across our two clinics in Paradise. This includes:
- Addiction Services
- Behavioral Health
- Dental
- Dermatology
- Imaging
- Lab draw stations
- Pediatric and Primary Care
- Rapid Care
- Specialty Care
- Women’s Health
Upcoming Plans

Adventist Health is currently investing $2.4M to renovate the Feather River Health Center on Skyway. This initiative will create a larger, dedicated Rapid Care Clinic area, remodel the Primary Care Clinic to increase patient access and provider capacity and re-establish Women’s Imaging to include mammography and bone density tests.

New Rapid Care Unit — Adventist Health will convert the former pharmacy area on the main floor to create a new 2,100-square-foot Rapid Care Unit with eight exam rooms and a dedicated space for associates and providers. Our Rapid Care Clinic is designed to treat a wide range of medical conditions that require attention quickly, usually within 24 hours, but are not life-threatening emergencies.

New Primary Care Clinic — Adventist Health will redesign the medical records office on the lower level to create a new, dedicated 2,300-square-foot Primary Care Clinic with seven exam rooms and a waiting area.

New Women’s Imaging Services —These services will provide mammograms and bone density tests and will be added adjacent to the Rapid Care Clinic to serve the Women’s Health Clinic. The Feather River Health Center on Skyway will continue to see patients during construction.

Additionally, as we assess Feather River Hospital and its surrounding facilities, we will begin demolition of portions of structures that have no pathway for further use to lay the foundation for future plans.
Our Commitment to the Paradise and Ridge Communities

As plans progress, we will consistently communicate our actions and plans to residents of this community every step of the way. And, as part of charting our future serving the community, we will continue to engage the community to determine how best to serve the continuing needs of the region. We continue to value the input and guidance of local leaders and have incorporated it into our strategy.