In the early 1950s the people of Bakersfield and Kern County found themselves in desperate need of a new hospital. A fundraising campaign was formed by civic leaders and healthcare professionals to raise money to build a true community hospital -- one owned and controlled by the people. This drive led to the opening of the original 112-bed Greater Bakersfield Memorial Hospital in 1956 at its current location.
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Thanks to the continuing support of many donors, volunteers and local leaders, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital has continued to grow to meet the needs of this community. Numerous construction projects completed through the years have built BMH into the regional medical center it is today. The facility now includes over 250 general acute beds; over 45 specialty intensive care or post-anesthesia care beds; 13 operating rooms; an Emergency Room with a Chest Pain Center; a Birthing Center with a full-service NICU; four Cardiac Catheterization labs; a full complement of diagnostic laboratory and imaging services; outpatient surgery; and the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbarics.
In 1995 BMH decided that to ensure it could keep pace with area growth and continue to offer the highest caliber services, it would be advantageous to affiliate with a large healthcare system; a system that shared the hospital's non-profit, mission-driven philosophy. After months of looking at possible partners, BMH chose Catholic Healthcare West, the largest faith-based hospital system in California. This affiliation was completed in 1996. It is important to note, however, that Bakersfield Memorial Hospital is only affiliated with CHW, not owned by CHW. BMH continues to be owned by the community, and controlled by a board of directors composed of community leaders.
