Physicians give in support of the emergency department expansion

As the only trauma center and comprehensive emergency department in south Orange County, Providence Mission Hospital plays a vital role in our community. Thanks to a lead gift from Eden and George O’Connell, along with other generous donors, the O’Connell Family Emergency Department – South opened its doors in December 2021.

What you may not know is that 19 of our physicians took care beyond the bedside by becoming donors in support of the emergency department expansion. “We have seen the power of philanthropy through donor support of our emergency department renovation and expansion,” says Seth R. Teigen, FACHE, chief executive, Providence Mission Hospital. “The extraordinary commitment of our physicians to share in that effort through their personal financial support not only inspires our community members, it moves all of us who seek to support the work they do.”

A community investing in itself

The campaign to expand the emergency department received tremendous community support. As a result, we were able to increase capacity by 30% by adding eight new patient rooms, a newly located nurse’s station to better serve patients, and additional storage to increase the efficiency of the department.

An expanded break area also provides caregivers a space to heal and decompress from the intensity of the emergency department. This project follows the expansion of the Sue and Bill Gross Emergency Department at Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, and the growth in capacity at both locations allows us to provide significantly better care to our community.

Providence Mission Hospital’s leadership, in collaboration with the nursing staff, designed the expansion with an eye to the future and an understanding that, as the population continues to increase in the years ahead, our emergency department will be positioned for continued growth.

“No one knows better than our staff serving patients in the emergency department, that the need to expand was imperative,” says John D. Miller, chief philanthropy officer. “We are grateful to the physicians who’ve given their support to the expansion. Their investment, and that of our donor community, has created the department we all want available when facing an emergency.”