CLEARLAKE, Calif. – In 2013, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake will open its doors to an expanded and remodeled emergency department.

The new facility – more than double its current size – will feature 12 private treatment rooms and be furnished with a spacious waiting and reception area, separate ambulance and walk-in entrances, and many other state-of-the-art upgrades in medical equipment and monitoring methods.

The overall goal of the new emergency department is to reduce wait times, alleviate overcrowding, and assure privacy for all visitors while providing the best possible, life-saving care for all patients.

The price tag of the project is $12.1 million. Adventist Health, the nonprofit parent company behind St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, offered $9 million to get started on the project, with the challenge to the local hospital that they seek funding for the remainder of the cost from the community.

Philanthropy is a popular funding source for most hospitals across the country, yet St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake until recently has not sought philanthropic community support for major capital investments.

Thanks to local champions such as the Clearlake Rotary Club, Clearlake Grocery Outlet, Wells Fargo, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake doctors, employees and volunteers, as well as generous Lake County businesses and residents, the amount remaining to complete the emergency department is just over $1.7 million.  

In order to give everyone in Lake County a chance to participate in this life-saving project, the hospital is introducing the “Brick-by-Brick” fundraising program.

For $500 to $1,500, two different sized bricks will be offered, permanently etched with a family or business name and/or logo, and placed in a special area adjacent to the new emergency department.

Businesses are encouraged to use this as a community-minded advertising opportunity. Families that would like to honor a loved one or memorialize a relative will be able to do so. Several parties may join together to buy a brick.

St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake encourages Lake County residents to purchase a brick as a way to show their thanks or love in time for the upcoming holidays.

For more information on the Brick-by-Brick program at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, please contact Lee Loban, development associate, at 707-995-5678 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or visit www.newERforyou.com .