BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — After a decade of planning and development, Dignity Health Mercy Southwest Hospital is preparing to open the long-awaited Thomas M. Hardt Tower on December 8 a major expansion aimed at improving access to advanced medical care for the growing Southwest community.
Toni Harper, vice president of philanthropy, says the project represents years of dedication and collaboration.
“Our collective spirit is one that builds life-saving hospitals, navigates regulatory mountains, and makes miracles happen for every person in our community,” Harper says.
Hospital leaders describe the new tower as a critical step in addressing long-standing capacity challenges. Mercy Hospital President and CEO Simon Ratliff says limited resources have often made it difficult for patients to receive timely care.
“The biggest thing we were seeing was patients being held in our ER,” Ratliff explains. “They would come in sick—sick enough to be admitted—but we didn’t have enough beds for them. So they had to stay in the ER instead of being moved to our medical floors.”
The $47 million expansion adds 106 new beds and significantly enhances the hospital’s specialty services. The tower features a new intensive care unit, expanded women’s services, upgraded stroke-intervention capabilities, six operating rooms, and advanced cardiac and neonatal care units. The project also includes 370 additional parking spaces and brings 240 new jobs to the community.
Hemmal Kothary, chief medical officer, says increasing capacity and expanding services could also help attract more physicians to the region.
“We have a shortage of physicians in our community,” Kothary says. “I think when you have services like these available, it helps bring physicians in.”
With the opening of the Hardt Tower, hospital officials hope patients will no longer need to travel elsewhere for specialized treatment.
“Now, with the addition of these new facilities, hopefully we can recruit the specialties that can serve our communities—so our patients can stay here,” one doctor notes.
The Thomas M. Hardt Tower officially opens its doors on December 8, marking a transformative moment for healthcare access in Southwest Bakersfield.
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