Palomar Emergency Room Will Move to New Hospital

Palomar Health has begun an extensive campaign to notify the public about the pending relocation of the Emergency Department at its downtown hospital in Escondido to the new Palomar Medical Center in west Escondido. 

The Emergency Department at the downtown hospital at 555 East Valley Parkway will close on August 19 and reopen the same day at the public health district’s new Palomar Medical Center, 2185 West Citracado Parkway in Escondido.

The downtown hospital will remain open and specialize in women’s, children’s, behavioral health and rehabilitation services while adding an urgent care center. The hospital had been known as Palomar Medical Center but was recently renamed Palomar Health Downtown Campus.

Palomar Health launched its information campaign earlier this year. The plan includes the use of print and radio ads, legal notices, community newsletters, letters, billboards, signage, social media, flyers, posters, press releases and in-house publications to notify the public about the relocation of emergency services. The district is distributing material in English and Spanish.

The new Palomar Medical Center will include 50 emergency and trauma rooms, 19 more than currently available at the downtown facility. The Emergency Department, located on the first floor of the new hospital, is expected to see nearly 70,000 patients during its first year. For more information about the relocation, visit:  www.PalomarHealth.org/ERmove.

Palomar Health is the largest by area public health district in California with more than 500,000 residents in its service area in Inland North County. Construction of the 11-story, 740,000-square-foot Palomar Medical Center was completed in April and training is underway to prepare staff to work in the new facility.