** About Ridgeview **
Ridgeview Medical Center is an independent, 109-bed acute care hospital located on Highway 5 in Waconia, Minnesota.
** Welcome to Ridgeview Medical Center and Clinics **
The hospital is the heart of a regional health care network that includes clinics, emergency services and specialty programs. Our hospital, associated clinics and physicians have a well-earned reputation for clinical excellence and extraordinary service. Our patients tell us that the Ridgeview experience is decidedly different from what they encounter at other health care facilities.
** Mission Statement **
Ridgeview Medical Center exists to enhance the health of people in the communities it serves by
* Supporting and developing the capacity of the community to enhance the
health of its citizens.
* Collaborating with physicians to provide an array of quality medical
services that foster the well-being of individuals, families and communities.
* Providing information resources that further people¹s well-being.
* Continually and systematically improving the quality of its work.
* Developing effective working relationships with other organizations oriented
to the health of the community.
* Enabling and encouraging the abilities of its staff.
* Efficiently using resources to ensure sustainability for future generations.
Throughout, Ridgeview Medical Center regards its community, those who seek its services, the organizations with which it partners and its staff with respect, compassion and fairness.
History Of Ridgeview Medical Center
** Our History **
In 1954, the newly formed Waconia Community Hospital Association assumed operations of the Nagel Hospital. Its board of directors invited doctors in Carver County to form a medical staff which “when consummated will in all probability necessitate an enlargement of the hospital”—a hospital then housed in a one-story facility on Elm Street (which later became Nightingale Nursing Home). “In all probability” became a reality within the next decade.
** Waconia Ridgeview Hospital Opened Its Doors **
In 1962, construction began on a new 45-bed community-owned hospital located on the high ridge southwest of town. “Waconia Ridgeview Hospital” opened its doors on July 27, 1963. Ten years later, Ridgeview underwent a major expansion, adding a third floor and a capacity of 109 beds and 20 bassinets. With the addition of new surgical, pediatric and intensive care units plus a number of other improvements, Ridgeview met its current needs while preparing for the future.
** Growth Brings New Services **
The 1980s brought a health care revolution and another step in Ridgeview’s move from a small community hospital to a regional medical center. With a tremendous growth in population and a shift in emphasis from inpatient to ambulatory and outreach care, Ridgeview responded by providing not only comprehensive primary and secondary medical services, but a broad array of outreach programs and services including home care, business/occupational health, sports medicine and additional health/wellness activities.
** Major Expansion Efforts **
In April 1990, ground was broken for an $11 million expansion which included a new emergency care facility and ambulance garages. This building program also allowed for expansion in the surgery areas (including the development of a same-day surgery complex), maternal child health, lab, radiology, medical records, communication center and a gift shop. With additional support from Ridgeview Foundation, a large auditorium was added to the Waconia campus to allow for educational meetings and community gatherings.
That major expansion also brought a new name. According to President John Devins, “We want to assure the people of our service area that although our name and look have changed, our values have not. Our tradition of excellent medical care delivered by caring professionals will remain the same. But our ability to deliver that care will be greatly enhanced by this building expansion ... the name, ‘Ridgeview Medical Center’ will better describe who we are and what we do.”
A new private medical office building, Ridgeview Medical Place, was built in 1995, located just north of Ridgeview Medical Center. This facility allowed additional services—including radiation therapy, oncology care and dialysis—to be offered to patients in Waconia rather than referring to other hospitals. An underground tunnel connecting the building to the hospital was also built to allow for transportation of patients between the two buildings.
Devins retired in 1996, after having served the Waconia Community Hospital (1959-63), Waconia Ridgeview Hospital (1963-90) and Ridgeview Medical Center (1990-96) for 37 years. Under his leadership, the once 27-bed, 8-bassinet community hospital with four to six physicians had grown to a major regional medical center with more than 200 physicians in 25 specialties. It also purchased Chanhassen Medical Center, a family care clinic located in downtown Chanhassen.
