Catalina Island Company grants land donation to Catalina Island Medical Center

AVALON—Catalina Island will finally see the construction of its new hospital thanks to a generous land donation from Catalina Island Company. Catalina Island Museum hosted an event on June 20 with more than 125 guests in attendance to celebrate. Catalina Island Company granted 2.5 acres of land, valued at $4 million, in Quail Canyon. Jason Paret, CEO of Catalina Island Medical Center and guest speaker at the event, unveiled renderings of how the hospital will look including interior and exterior concepts. The new hospital “will be a state-of-the-art facility with all private rooms for inpatient and long-term care patients.” New services will be added including infusion therapy, digital mammography, women’s health services, a surgical suite for outpatient procedures and patient wellness education. Catalina Island Medical Center already provides emergency care, family practice, radiology and other services. A statement by Catalina Island Company said, “Catalina Island Medical Center has been serving residents of and visitors to Catalina Island since 1960. Back then, Avalon’s population was 1,536 residents, with 250,000 visitors annually. The city now counts [more than] 4,500 residents and welcomes some one million visitors each year – which means the hospital is serving more than four times the number it was built...