Santa Maria’s Marian Medical Center, a not-for-profit hospital founded by the Sisters of Saint Francis, is set to break ground on a new facility Oct. 6. The estimated $210 million project is expected to be funded by operating costs and philanthropic support, a hospital representative said.

Scheduled for completion in 2011, the new hospital will be double the size of the original structure, covering 216,000 square feet and featuring 188 private rooms with extra accommodations for a companion to stay with the patient, a neo-natal intensive care unit, expanded emergency services and critical care unit, and a “healing garden.”
The new hospital will also offer cardiac services, including open-heart surgery, obstetrical and gynecological services, full diagnostic imaging services, cancer/oncology services, orthopedic services, a pharmacy and respiratory therapy.
A member of Catholic Healthcare West, Marian counts 1,300 employees and more than 260 physicians. Marian reported the project is intended to help accommodate the growing population of Santa Maria.