---

Description

---

About Us
Banner Lassen Medical Center in Susanville Calif originally opened in 1883 as Lassen County Hospital In 1994 Lutheran Health System assumed management responsibility for the hospital and purchased the hospital from St Marys Hospital in 1999 That year the Lutheran Health System merged with Samaritan Health and became Banner Health Banner Health decided to build a new facility north of town and the new Banner Lassen Medical Center opened in May 2003

A 25bed critical access hospital Banner Lassen offers quality care close to home In addition to providing our patients with a safe efficient and caring environment Banner Lassen offers a wide range of programs and services to aid in prevention diagnosis and treatment of illness We offer private rooms and homelike birthing suites

Banner Lassen has invested in the latest medical equipment to allow staff to perform a wider range of services We have a 16Slice CT Scan Nuclear Medicine MRI Ultrasound Bone Density Mammography and CAD a second look at mammography exams The hospital also offers Infusion and Oncology Therapy Respiratory Therapy and Cardiopulmonary services as well as laboratory services inpatient and outpatient Surgical Center and an Emergency department that is open around the clock We also have a small chapel located in the Emergency department waiting area for those who need a place for reflection

---

History

---

History of Banner Lassen Medical Center
1883
Lassen County Hospital was built on a site located along the Susan River just west of the Susanville cemetery This twostory 12room house was a combination senior citizen home and poor house and was staffed by a live in couple and a contract physician

1916
Lassen County built a new hospital at 560 Hospital Lane to accommodate the rapid population growth caused by the arrival of the railroad and growth of the timber industry

However shortly after the new county hospital opened the Fruit Growers Supply Co built their own hospital in 1921 named Riverside Hospital For the next four decades Riverside Hospital was the main medical facility for the community while Lassen County Hospital became an indigent care facility

1960
Upon recommendation by a special study committee Lassen County built a new replacement hospital named Lassen Memorial Hospital making Lassen County Hospital the longterm care annex In 1964 the hospital received its first threeyear accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations JCAHO

1967
The state fire marshal required the county to install a full sprinkler system in the Annex At this time it was also noted that 49 patients were crowded into the Annex and the hospital was so overcrowded that patients were cared for in the halls In 1976 a new wing was added to the hospital which included laboratory and the emergency department

The 1970s and 1980s were financially difficult years for the hospital Prop 13 froze tax revenues and reimbursement shrunk with the advent of Medicare DRGs and reduced Blue Cross reimbursement The County Supervisors and Tax Payers Association constantly challenged the hospitals budget The county finally decided to sell the hospital to a private organization

1983
Eskaton purchased the hospital and embarked on some major renovation projects The first Birthing Center was opened a fourbed ICU addition was constructed and a modular physician office building was added in front of the Annex In order to strengthen the organization Eskaton began to look for a merger partner however felt that Lassen Community Hospital needed a partner closer to Susanville and began discussions with the hospitals in Reno

1986
St Marys Hospital in Reno purchased Lassen Community Hospital as part of their rural network In 1988 a new surgery wing was added to the hospital However after several years of financial losses St Marys decided to divest itself of its rural network including Lassen Community Hospital In 1990 the community organized a Hospital District to buy the hospital but the voters defeated the bond issue to fund the purchase Over the next several years St Marys was unable to find a buyer for Lassen Community Hospital so they contracted with Lutheran Health System to manage it

1994
Lutheran Health System assumed management responsibility for the hospital After determining that the existing facility did not have the needed capacity nor did it meet state seismic codes they developed a plan for a replacement hospital located in a new Healthcare Park

Since St Marys had decided to divest themselves of the hospital a plan was developed for the Healthcare District to fund the new hospital with a low interest loan and a bond issue However the voters once again defeated the bond issue Since Lutheran Health System was able to achieve financial success in their operation of the hospital they offered to buy the hospital from St Marys with the agreement that Lutheran Health System would finance the construction of a new hospital

1999
Lutheran Health System purchased the hospital from St Marys In that same year Lutheran Health System merged with Samaritan Health and became Banner Health

2002
Forty acres of land was purchased north of town and the construction of Banner Lassen Medical Center started

2003
The new Banner Lassen Medical Center opened in May