Our History
Arroyo Grande Community Hospital (AGCH) is a full service, general, acute care, medical-surgical facility located in the heart of San Luis Obispo County.
Established in 1961, AGCH is now a 65 bed hospital serving residents in southern San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County.
n 1999, AGCH completed a major remodeling of its facilities, including a beautiful outdoor courtyard area.
On June 1, 2004, AGCH was acquired by Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), making a faith based, not-for-profit hospital.
CHW, headquartered in San Francisco is a system of hospitals and medical centers in California, Arizona and Nevada. Founded in 1986, it is one of the nation's largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest Catholic health care system based in the Western United States.
In 2004, CHW provided more than $566 million in community benefits and free care for the poor - $144 million more than last year.
In October 2009, Arroyo Grande Community Hospital celebrated five years as a CHW hospital where the facility’s new Healing Garden was unveiled. Attendees also were given tours of the beautiful facility upgrades inside and outside the hospital.
Arroyo Grande Community Hospital has a dedicated team of Hospitalists (on staff physicians) who are available for patient needs 24 hours/7 days a week.
In the last five years AGCH:
- Installed new state of the art equipment including a dual head nuclear camera, Digital Mammography, the latest Philips Ultrasound and a digital Picture Archiving Computer system so x-rays can be sent digitally to your physicians after a scan.
- We have won seven years in a row a five star rating for our Joint Replacement program including total knee and hip surgeries. The best orthopedic surgeons in the area perform ortho surgeries at our facility each week.
- Arroyo Grande Community Hospital now has an established 501-3C Foundation which works with community members and local organizations to foster a partnership of understanding of the AGCH and CHW mission. We now have several annual fund raising events to improve programs and services of the hospital including an annual Comedy Night event and “Golf N’ Grub golf tournament.
- AGCH is now acts as a leader with our Community Benefits Department to collaborate with other healthcare non profits and offer a variety of free health care lectures and screenings for underserved populations in our area.
Local Support of Nursing Programs
AGCH works with the Cuesta College and Alan Hancock College nursing programs. Nursing students can work at the hospital 12 hours but earn 24 hours of pay. AGCH helps pay off student loans if the student decides to work at the hospital.
