Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center marks 50 years of community service

Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center is marking its 50th anniversary with a look back on five decades of service to San Diego’s South Bay and a look ahead to expanded care offerings and emergency maternity, cancer and orthopedic services.

The hospital, originally opened 50 years ago on May 24 as Community Hospital of Chula Vista, has grown from a facility surrounded by farmland into one of the region’s leading health care providers.

“For decades, Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center’s enduring commitment to the patients and families of San Diego’s South Bay has meant life-changing, compassionate care close to home,” says Scott Evans, PharmD, MHA, chief strategy officer and market chief executive officer, Sharp HealthCare. “As we move into a new era, we are proud to be able to make vital investments to add and expand services in our community.”

Sharp Chula Vista has expanded significantly in recent years. In 2012, the hospital opened the Douglas and Nancy Barnhart Cancer Center, which has since treated more than 11,000 patients. The facility offers services such as brachytherapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy and patient navigation to guide individuals through treatment.

“Cancer treatment is difficult on its own. If you add a commute – multiple times a week and sometimes even multiple times a day – that can be really burdensome for the patient and their family,” says Dr. Andrew Bruggeman, co-medical director of radiation oncology at the Barnhart Cancer Center at Sharp Chula Vista. “We strive to offer everything a patient might need right here to minimize their stress and provide them high-quality care.”

Other recent developments include the 2020 opening of the $185 million Ocean View Tower, which added 106 private patient rooms, and an expansion of surgical services with robotic-assisted surgery introduced in 2010. In 2024, the hospital designated a unit for post-operative care for orthopedic, spine and cranial surgeries, and invested $1.6 million in advanced imaging and navigation systems.

Also in 2024, Sharp Chula Vista became the sole provider of labor and delivery services in the South Bay after other local systems ended maternity care. The hospital reported a 30% increase in births over the past year.

Earlier this year, Sharp Chula Vista added an Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing (EmPATH) unit to improve emergency mental health care. The hospital is also undergoing a $6.8 million renovation of its emergency room with aims to reduce wait times, improve efficiency and enhance comfort for patients and visitors.

The hospital’s leadership said the projects represent a new chapter in its mission to deliver high quality care to the growing South Bay community