Milestones




  • First in western U.S. to earn two certifications in stroke care from The Joint Commission (Primary Stroke Center and Gold Seal of Approval for Stroke Rehabilitation)
  • First in California to receive the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for Stroke Rehabilitation
  • Joint Commission Certification as a Primary Stroke Center
  • Part of the "Top 15 Health Systems in the U.S." as named by Thomson Reuters
  • San Diego County STEMI (heart attack) receiving center
  • American College of Surgeons’ Commission-certified community cancer program
  • Site of one of the nation’s leading skull-base programs
  • Regional referral site for rehabilitation services
  • Region’s leading vision rehabilitation program
  • Center of Excellence designation for bariatric surgery by Blue Cross, Medicare, Health Net, Cigna and United Resource Network
  • Nation's first multi-disciplinary sexual medicine program
  • First East County facility to offer telemedicine capability (UCSD affiliated)
  • Site of one of the first open-heart procedures in San Diego
  • Site of the world’s first laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery
  • Site of one of San Diego’s first board-certified endovascular surgeons
  • Site of one of the region’s first interoperative neurologist