MemorialCare Health System to Bring 1,000 New Jobs to Fountain Valley

In a move that will bring nearly 1,000 jobs to Fountain Valley, MemorialCare Health System announced today that it is completing escrow to purchase Fountain Valley City Center at Brookhurst and the 405 Freeway.

By the time the company transfers the bulk of its administrative support services to the property, MemorialCare Health System will be the city’s largest employer. The company will employ about 1,500 employees at its headquarters plus 1,300 staffers at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley.

The sale was somewhat unexpected as MemorialCare Health System purchased property in Costa Mesa last year for the same puprose. Now, instead of transfering nearly 700 jobs from Fountain Valley to Costa Mesa, the company will transfer about 1,000 jobs to Fountain Valley from offices in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Los Angeles County.

“When we were seeking a new facility for the shared services we provide to our hospitals, physician groups and outpatient facilities, the Fountain Valley location where we are currently located was not on the market,” says Barry Arbuckle, PhD, president and CEO of MemorialCare Health System. “When it became available, we changed course due to the many advantages it offered.”

MemorialCare Health System, which currently leases one of the three buildings on the 300,000 square-foot property will become the new owners of the 15-acre site, and other tenants will eventually phase out as their leases expire. MemorialCare is also acquiring an adjacent property for additional parking.

“I am happy to see them stay in the city,” said Fountain Valley City Councilman Steve Nagel. “I see it as a great boon to our city and a benefit to our economy because the people who work there will spend money in our city.”

MemorialCare Health System is a not-for profit healthcare provider that operates Long Beach Memorial, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, Community Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center Laguna Hills and San Clemente.

“MemorialCare has been on a fairly fast growth clip over the last several years,” said Arbuckle.

Several recent acquisitions and mergers with imaging centers, physicians groups and ambulatory services are designed to take advantage of economies of scale so the company can offer a higher level of service at lower costs, he said.

In July, MemorialCare Health System announced a partnership with SimonMed and acquired imaging centers in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Irvine, and Laguna Niguel. It also recently joined with Greater Newport Physicians and Nautilus Healthcare Management Group, both of which will relocate administrative operations to the Fountain Valley headquarters.

The Fountain Valley headquarters will house the company’s legal, human resources, information technology, and billing and purchasing departments amongst other administrative services. In addition to transfers, there will be many job openings for administrative positions. The job opportunities will be listed on the company’s website.

Arbuckle sees another advantage for the community in the sale. The company is testing a pilot workplace wellness program on its own employees designed to improve their work-life balance and help check medical costs. It includes walking paths on the campus, employee Weight Watchers meetings, pilates classes, nutrition education, and programs for employees with diabetes and high blood pressure. About 18 months into the program, it’s showing signs of success, and Arbuckle envisions bringing it to businesses and municipalities in the community next.