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Press release from Providence:

Providence in Humboldt County is excited to announce plans are underway for a brand-new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Redwood Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Fortuna. The new ICU will include four spacious, technologically advanced rooms, including two negative-pressure (isolation) rooms which will allow for the treatment of patients with airborne illnesses like COVID. The RMH ICU sees more than 340 patients each year. The current ICU has zero negative-pressure rooms and patients requiring that level of care are typically transferred to Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka.

A new ICU will touch almost all areas of the hospital including:

• Surgery and the Medical Surgical Unit — a new ICU will allow more complicated surgeries and procedures to be performed, knowing that elevated care is just a door away.
• Emergency Department — having the ability to stabilize and treat patients who present to the Emergency Department with common illnesses that require several days of critical care. 
• Staff recruitment and retention — having a modern, sophisticated ICU will help with the recruitment of physicians, nurses, and specialists to all areas of RMH, and help ensure their longevity in the Eel River Valley.

The new ICU space will include:

• A modern, state-of-the-art space with the latest equipment and technology.
• A nurse’s station with “eyes-on” every patient room, plus privacy for all patients.
• Windows or skylights in every room.
• Reduced noise levels.
• Spacious areas for staff.
• Reassurance for the community that Providence is committed to keeping an ICU and providing the highest quality of care for the Eel River Valley now and in the future.

Recognizing the importance of this service model, generous community donors have stepped forward and pledged their support, including the Murphy Family with a gift of $835,000. The Murphy family goes back seven generations in the Eel River Valley. Their roots are intertwined with the timber industry, as the family that started Pacific Lumber Company in the early 1900s.

The Murphy’s were a major part of the opening of Redwood Memorial Hospital and have supported it since its inception in 1957. Stanwood and Suzanne Murphy were champions of RMH and when Stanwood passed in 1972, the family established the Murphy Fund. Designated for construction projects at RMH, this fund honors the family’s commitment to the hospital and the caregivers who cared for Stanwood.

The Murphy children and grandchildren continue the giving tradition through philanthropy, service, and helped establish Suzanne’s House in 2004—an affordable place to stay when a loved-one is being treated at RMH. Suzanne passed away in 2012.

“Suzanne truly cared about this hospital and wanted to support improvements in patient care. She would have loved to be part of this project, and for us to see her wishes happening, it means so much to honor her legacy this way.” said Pam Murphy, Stanwood and Suzanne’s daughter-in-law, and long-time supporter of RMH.

The Murphys believe that Redwood Memorial is critical to the Eel River Valley. Suzanne Murphy expressed a desire to bring a new ICU to RMH decades ago. The family is pleased to honor the legacy of Stanwood and Suzanne by donating the additional funds to make, in total, a $1 million contribution to the hospital toward the successful construction and opening of the Murphy Family Intensive Care Unit.

“The family is committed to the important role of Redwood Memorial Hospital in the Eel River Valley and to helping make this new ICU happen,” continued Murphy.

Providence is equally grateful for other community members who have invested in the new ICU, including the McLean Foundation ($625,000) and Providence Redwood Memorial Foundation Board ($250,000).

“We are eternally grateful for the philanthropy of donors like the Murphy Family,” said Roberta Luskin-Hawk, MD, chief executive for Providence in Humboldt County. “Their gift, along with our other generous donors, will greatly impact and benefit our community both today and in years to come.”

The public is invited to support the new ICU at Redwood Memorial Hospital. The annual Benefit Ball virtual fundraiser is this Saturday, Nov. 6, at 6:00 p.m, and all proceeds will go towards the new ICU at RMH. The theme this year is “Redwood Memorial and the Raiders of the Lost ICU.” To register, the community can email Jennifer.Partsafas@stjoe.org to receive log-in information. Silent and live auctions will be open for bidding Friday, Nov. 5 at noon. To check out the details and auction items, go to https://redwoodmemorial.ejoinme.org/benefitball. For additional support opportunities, please contact Beci at 269-4201.

Providence in Humboldt County is committed to meeting the highest standards in health care delivery while ministering to the needs of the whole person – body, mind and spirit. This commitment to the people of the North Coast is expressed in the Providence’s five core values – Compassion, Dignity, Excellence, Justice and Integrity.  In Humboldt County, Providence offers a comprehensive network of specialty care and services including a Level III Trauma Center, Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and a Cancer Center Accredited by the Commission on Cancer.  The health care ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange began in Humboldt County during the flu epidemic of 1918.