While the pandemic was making headlines, Kaiser Permanente has been and still is upgrading its local medical offices, in Watsonville and Scotts Valley.
“Everything from our facilities to services is under one roof, from primary care to specialty care to pharmacy, lab or optical services,” said Priya Smith, medical group administrator for Kaiser Permanente San Jose and Santa Cruz County. “It’s all part of our coordinated service delivery approach.”
Virtual care, chatting with a doctor via computer screen, is available, and patients can use a mobile phone app to get information on test results or an upcoming appointment.
For new members unfamiliar with Kaiser physicians and nurses, a 3-minute welcome video — in Spanish and English — has been created as an introduction to meet Kaiser staff virtually.
The new facilities are:
Watsonville Mental Health Center: This new 6,400-square-foot clinic at 180 Westgate Drive with seven provider offices and two group rooms, opened last summer and is offering adult, adolescent and child mental health services, addiction medicine and recovery services, counseling and therapy, medication management, crisis intervention, education classes, and online resources members can access at any time.
In a 20-minute virtual tour, Dr. Sam Bajaj, Kaiser chief operating officer, pointed out the locally sourced artwork and in Watsonville views of the coastal landscape for members who are in any of the treatment rooms.
Scotts Valley Medical Offices, 5617 Scotts Valley Drive, second floor: The 14,000 square-foot expansion has14 provider offices and 3 group rooms for psychiatry; four treatment rooms and a gym for physical and occupational therapy (with views of the trees outside).
Dr. William MacLean, physician in charge for Santa Cruz County, pointed out the new audiology department with the latest testing, and an optical practice, with “Vision Essentials” for retail sales. There is ample parking around the building.
Scotts Valley Medical Offices, 5615 Scotts Valley Drive, first floor: Construction began in 2020 on 13,000 square feet of new clinical space offering urgent care seven days a week, a bigger pharmacy, and a brand new primary care area with more room for family medicine, Ob Gyn, and pediatrics.
Dr. Joyce Orndorff pointed out a lab has already opened with more stations for blood draws. Construction on the rest of the project continues this year.
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A virtual tour of the facilities can be viewed at https://kp.qumucloud.com/view/yjdkY3OZhtx?captions=es#/