Tri-City Medical Center Unveils Redesigned Emergency Department, Powered by $5.2 Million Community Investment

Largest project in Tri-City Hospital Foundation history transforms emergency care for Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad residents

OCEANSIDE, Calif., May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tri-City Medical Center today officially opens the doors to its redesigned Emergency Department, marking the most significant transformation of acute care in North County San Diego in more than a decade. The reimagined ED — built almost entirely through a $5.2 million philanthropic campaign led by the Tri-City Hospital Foundation — was made possible by thousands of neighbors, local businesses, and foundation partners who came together over multiple years to ensure that every resident of Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad has access to faster, safer, and more personalized emergency care.

Tri-City's Emergency Department is not only a critical resource in access to emergency care in North County but also one of the top-performing stroke and heart attack receiving centers in Southern California. The newly redesigned space is purpose-built to expedite care through a reimagined patient and family waiting area, a modernized triage zone, and an upgraded major treatment area.

Built by the community, for the community

The redesign was the Tri-City Hospital Foundation's flagship priority for several years running. With early leadership gifts from the David C. Copley Foundation and the Conrad Prebys Foundation, alongside contributions from corporate partners, the hospital auxiliary, grateful patients, and hundreds of community donors, the Foundation closed in on $5.2 million — funding nearly the entire project.

"This Emergency Department belongs to the community that built it," said Jennifer Paroly, President of the Tri-City Hospital Foundation. "For years, our donors told us the same thing: take care of the ER, because the ER takes care of all of us. Today we get to say thank you in the most meaningful way possible — by opening a space that will serve our neighbors at their most vulnerable moments, for decades to come."

What's new for patients

The redesigned ED is engineered for one outcome above all: getting patients seen, treated, and home faster. Improvements include:

• Expanded treatment capacity to ease bottlenecks during peak demand and reduce ambulance diversions across the region.
• A reconfigured triage and intake flow designed to shorten door-to-provider times and accelerate throughput from arrival to disposition.
• A redesigned waiting and family area that is calmer and more private.
• An upgraded major treatment area with modernized equipment and improved sightlines for nursing staff.

"Every design decision started with one question: how will this help a patient get the best care, in the most efficient, patient-centric manner?" said Cary Mells, MD, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Tri-City Medical Center. "For our team, this isn't just a renovation — it's a reinvention of how we deliver emergency care to North County. We now have the space, the technology, and the workflow to take care of more patients, more quickly, with the high quality that each and every patient deserves."

What it means for Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad

As North County's population continues to grow, demand for emergency services has grown with it. Tri-City's redesigned ED directly addresses one of the region's most pressing healthcare needs: ensuring that when seconds matter — for a chest pain, a stroke, a child's high fever, a fall at home — care is close, capable, and ready. Residents of Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad will see the impact in shorter wait times and a smoother experience from the moment they walk through the door.

"Tri-City has served North County for more than six decades, and our commitment to this community has never been stronger," said Gene Ma, MD, FACEP, President and CEO of Tri-City Medical Center. "This Emergency Department is a turning point. It reflects what is possible when a hospital, a foundation, and a community decide together that better care isn't optional — it's the standard. I am deeply grateful to every donor, every clinician, and every neighbor who made this moment possible."

Part of a broader transformation

The opening of the redesigned Emergency Department comes as Tri-City Medical Center continues a multi-year transformation focused on access, quality, and long-term sustainability — including investments in clinical technology and service-line growth. Separately, a proposed affiliation between Tri-City Healthcare District and Sharp HealthCare will be decided by district voters on June 2 through Measure H. Tri-City remains committed to serving the residents of Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, and the broader North County region, as it has since 1961.

The redesigned ED is both a milestone and a signal: that North County deserves — and will continue to receive — the highest standard of emergency and acute care, delivered close to home.

Now open to the community

The redesigned Emergency Department officially begins serving the community on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The new space goes directly into 24-hour operation, ready to care for the residents of Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, and the surrounding North County region from day one. Members of the media wishing to arrange interviews with Dr. Gene Ma, Jennifer Paroly, or members of the Emergency Department clinical team are invited to contact the media office below.

About Tri-City Medical Center

Tri-City Medical Center is a full-service, acute-care public hospital located in Oceanside, California, serving the residents of Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, and the surrounding North County San Diego region. With a 24-hour Emergency Department that treats more than 50,000 patients each year, Tri-City offers a comprehensive range of services including cardiovascular care, orthopedics, cancer care, women's health, robotic surgery, and family medicine. Tri-City has proudly served North County since 1961. Learn more at tricitymed.org.

About the Tri-City Hospital Foundation

The Tri-City Hospital Foundation is the philanthropic partner of Tri-City Medical Center, raising and stewarding charitable contributions to advance patient care, innovation, and community health across North County San Diego. The Foundation's donors fuel the equipment, programs, and capital projects — like the redesigned Emergency Department — that make exceptional care possible. Learn more or get involved at tricityhospitalfoundation.org.

Web: tricitymed.org | tricityhospitalfoundation.org

SOURCE Tri-City Medical Center