OXNARD : 1,000 Attend Dedication of St. John’s Regional Medical Center

About 1,000 people turned out Sunday for the dedication of the new St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard.

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Los Angeles, appeared along with hospital officials and public figures for the dedication of the 269-bed, $110-million complex located on 65 acres at Rose Avenue and Gonzales Road.

“Today is a day for joy,” Mahony said. “Anyone can build a hospital, but it takes a special charisma to bring the spirit of mercy to the care that is given here.”

St. John’s President Daniel R. Herlinger called the new hospital, which is scheduled to accept patients in October, “our field of dreams. We take care of the total person.”

In a statement in the event’s program, Herlinger said the hospital’s goal is to meet the medical challenges of the next century.

“This facility, which promotes health and wellness, is designed to usher St. John’s into the 21st Century and beyond,” he said.

The hospital was founded on May 19, 1912, by the Sisters of Mercy of Burlingame. St. John’s is one of 13 hospitals owned and operated by the San Francisco-based Catholic Healthcare West.

The dedication came at a time when the hospital is experiencing budget problems. A few weeks ago, some of its 1,400 employees were laid off.

In a recent memo to employees, Herlinger discussed the need to reduce the facility’s $50-million operating budget by 10%. Spokeswoman Rita Schumacher said the financial problems are partly rooted in a sluggish economy.

Norma Guico, one of the hospital’s financial managers who attended the dedication, said the hospital will work its way out of its financial problems, but that it will take time.

“We will have budget problems for a few years,” she said.