Hospitals to Deliver Baby in the Temecula/Murrieta Area

I highly recommend avoiding Inland, Rancho Springs and Fallbrook hospitals. I delivered my last child at Pomerado Hospital in Poway (about a 45 minute drive to the south). It's worth the drive!!!

Whatever you do - DO NOT deliver at Rancho Springs Medical Center. I had a horrible labor: 27 hours and then 4 hours of pushing while my son suffered constant decellerations in heartbeat, my bloodpressure crashed, I had high fevers to the point of delerium and not a single nurse would help or listen to our distress. Come to find out there was only one OB available and she was delivering at Inland so they just had me continue pushing until she was available. I ended up almost losing my life and that of my child by the time I ended up with an Emergency C-section. The rest of the stay after delivery I had to beg for a nurse to help with anything. Since this experience I have heard countless horror stories worse than mine. Most of my friends recommend Palomar Hospital in San Diego which is your closest hospital.

If the drive doesn't bother you, I drove from Lake Elsinore over the 74 & went to a doctor in Mission Viejo. He is attached to Mission Hospital, which is part of CHOC-Mission Viejo (also where newborns in the Temecula area are airlifted to). He will induce 7-10 days early if you're worried about the commute during labor (ask your OB about that, if they're out of the area).

Hi R.,

Unfortunately there are no hospitals in this area with a NICU. The closest decent hospital to us is Palomar/Palmoar Pomerado in Escondido which does I belive have a NICU. I am in a huge dilema with this right now as I am pregnant as well (14 1/2 weeks so same as u) and I hate these hospitals. I wrote a post awhile back and a few moms confirmed what I had already felt, to steer clear of these hospitals. The problem for us is that we have 2 young children already and my last labor was only like 3 hours total so I am not really sure if it would be a smart option to drive somewhere far to deliver. I would LOVE to be able to deliver at Sharp Mary Birch. SD is where these hospitals airlift your baby if they need intensive care and I have heard nothing but awesome things about Mary Birch in SD from ppl who have delivered there as well as former and current L&D nurses. I spoke to my Dr about my concerns and he said for what we have to chose from around here (Inland, Rancho, Fallbrook, Hemet, Riverside Community) the ones here in Murrieta/Temec are actually the better of the bunch (which is scary). He encouraged me to check out Inland rather than Rancho Springs because my concern was cleanliness - he said that he feels that Inland is cleaner and less crowded. Good luck with your decision, hope all works out for both of us!! :)

R.,

I had my baby girl (2 months ago) at Rancho Springs Medical Center up in Murrieta since I am not a big fan of the hospital in Fallbrook where I live and there really is not much else that is near by. At first glance, the hospital is small and older however, they are building a brand new hospital in place of it right next door and I beleive it will be ready this summer. Looks amazing! Eventhough, the current hospital is old and not aesthetically pleasing, I must say the maternity department and the care I received was the best care I have ever had in a hospital. I was pleasantly surprised and I learned after my stay there (3 days due to a c-sec) that you should never judge a book by it's cover since my husband had just had spinal surgery 3 months before my daughter was born down in La Jolla at Scripps and though the facility is beautiful the nurses were aweful and the care overall was unsatisfactory!!

Hope this bit of info helps. I rec. taking a tour of the facility and make sure to ask about the new hospital as well.

Take Care,

T.
PS I agree overall with the response from person before me that there is not much to choose from however, I would feel very nervous picking a hospital that is 45mins to and hour away from my home.

Rancho Springs Medical Center, Murietta, CA…just a few reasons to seriously consider before choosing to deliver your baby there…from the viewpoint of One Pissed Gramma.
Positive - the location is good. Location is not everything.

When entering the Medical Center, do not be confused by the two office buildings that look like they could be the hospital. It is the one story building that looks like a very old Nursing home. Hope it is not raining, the front desk person directs you thru an outdoor courtyard, to a phone, to call into the delivery area. There was a group of about 15 tired, anxious family members that had been there for 24 hours, waiting for the delivery of the new family member. They were communicating via texts messages for updates and pictures. They talked about how pregnant women would arrive, they were refused admission, told to call back in 2 hours to see if a bed was available. Oh, the waiting area consisted of long wooden benches, about 8 inches deep, against the wall. They did have what once may have been 1” padding, covered in plastic.

Our delivering mom was placed in a closet…formerly a sleeping area for Dr. This process took a couple of days. Dad tried to sleep on the floor, no pillow or blanket was offered. He was rather invisible to the staff.

Now, for the really important stuff for your family… the Visitor limit is 2, so if there is a Dad present, that leaves only one person that is allowed to share in the miracle of birth of this new baby. The nursery is closed for viewing, so the time spent warming those 8 inch plastic covered wooden benches is not eased by the viewing of new babies.

After your new Grandbaby, or niece or nephew is delivered, while you are warming those 8 inch wooden benches for extended HOURS, there is an hour of bonding time. That time still does not include the bench warmers. When you are FINALLY allowed to enter, they are whisking the baby away for another hour…without even offering for you to NOW get to hold or see that baby up close. Only thanks to a request, did they now allow the holding of the new grandbaby.

A few more things to consider. No hot water for patient showers, the visitor bathrooms were closed for repair, both for men and women. Mom was moved to four different rooms. On the first visit out of the delivery area, we asked the room number. As the two grandmothers walked down the hall, we were chased down by the person at the front desk that informed us that ALL visitors were BLOCKED by this patient. After checking with the mom, we were allowed to enter, glad we did not take their word and leave. Construction workers had better access than the grandparents. We brought food for each meal…it looked really nasty.
While this new Gramma warmed the bench, having just lost out on one of the few “best life experiences” of her life, actually it was stolen from her, since she can never get it back, due to the “Hospital Rules”…she asked an employee if there were comment cards that could be completed. The person was actually the Chief Operating Officer, Gino Patrizio. One Pissed Gramma was seething, and was looking to make some very specific comments on the “unfriendly Family experience”.
His response included offering me a cup of coffee, or water. HE also wanted to state that the new wing would open in two months. The new wing held NO consolation to me…it would not change my extremely negative experience at this facility. I asked him to WALK AWAY. As he continued to stress how great the new wing was, I STRONGLY asked him to WALK AWAY, NOW! A cup of water was not a good trade for stealing the birth of my Grandbaby from me. Somehow, I do hope that he, and all the administrators of this hospital get the same experience in the birth of their grandchildren. Still not good enough…I will never get that experience that this hospital stole from me.
Overall, the Rancho Springs Medical Center provided a VERY NEGATIVE experience for a new Grandma. Keep in mind, you do have a choice of where to deliver. Does location really outweigh the rest? Take the opportunity to research this big decision on line. There are LOTS of postings, about 95% are less than glowing. Also, check out quotes from different news article:

“MURRIETA: State denies Rancho Springs Medical Center expansion. History of violations causes state to halt opening anticipated since the new year”
“Southwest (Rancho Springs Medical Center) received word from the Department of Public Health that it was in jeopardy of losing federal funding under Medicare/Medicaid and that a process was underway to revoke its hospital license.”
“State letter details reasons for possible hospital license revocation action”
“Federal Medicare officials told two Riverside County hospitals yesterday that they would no longer pay for seniors' care after June, signaling the end of a three-year process of trying to get the hospitals to follow basic care standards.”
“Three of the five delivery rooms at Rancho Springs Medical Center have been temporarily closed due to possible mold contamination resulting from water leaks”

I delivered my first child at Inland. I had a wonderful labor nurse, but the night nurse was sooo awful that I was seriously thinking of filing a complaint against her. I delivered my second at Rancho Springs and had wonderful labor and post labor nurses. They were so nice and helpful. My husband was able to sleep with us at Rancho, where Inland doesn't allow visitors after 9 p.m. ( I think ). It was nice delivering at Rancho since I live about 5 mins. from the hospital !! I have heard that the building they are working on next to Rancho is going to be a maternity ward. Not sure if it is strictly maternity, I would call and ask. You could also check if they are going to have a Neo-natal floor also. Loma Linda is great though and should not be dismissed if there was ever a problem if the baby needed that kind of care. I believe the new maternity ward should be finished by this summer. I am hoping it is done before I deliver my 3rd this late summer/ early fall. Just remember, every Hospital has pro's and con's no matter what. Just choose what makes you feel the most comfortable and you and your new bundle of joy will be just fine !!!

Good Luck

I had a baby at Inland 6 years ago. It was awesome. My only complaint was the nurse...not so nice! I also had a baby at Rancho Springs...full moon, no rooms available, BUT they got me in and the doctor, epidural guy and nurse were AWESOME! It also helped being so close to home. So overall, both were decent experiences. The small hospitals were just getting so overcrowded. I'm glad they're adding on.

Congratulations R.! It's so wonderful to have a baby! As far as the hospitals in Temecula area, none have a NICU. Usually patients who go into preterm labor prior to 35 weeks are sent to Loma Linda hospital. If the baby is born with complications, they can stabalize in the nursery at both Rancho and Inland, but then transport, usually to Loma Linda. Both hospitals here are very good though. Both have differences, so i suggest you tour each facility and see what you like. One will allow spouces to stay overnight if you get a private room, other one you wont get a private room. Pick the one that feels right to you. I delivered both of my children at Rancho Springs, but as a birth doula, I have patients who deliver at Inland and both are fine places.

I live in Temecula, have for the last 10 years and just had a baby girl she was delivered at Rancho Springs Hospital in Murietta. There is also the Inland Valley further down the 15 fwy. I was very happy at Rancho Springs though

Go to Palomar in Escondido. The Temecula/Murrieta hospitals dont have a neonatal department, and they're not equipped to handle emergencies with small children. Trust me, I know!

I deliever both my girls at Inland Valley Regional and had a wonderful experienc both times. I always recommend it over Rancho Springs. I am not sure why exactly. I toured both and just liked Inland Valley more. I have friend who have delievered at Rancho and enjoyed it. And I have friends who delievered at Inland Valley and enjoyed it. So I would tour both and just go with which ever you feel best at.

D.
Mother of two girls (6 & 2 years old)

I also live in the Temecula area and have lived here off and on for over 15 years ( I left for college) I delivered my baby at Rancho Springs 19 months ago in Murrieta. I had a GREAT experience I even had to have an emergency C-section. The only other hospital in the area would be Fallbrook or Inland Valley. I do not think any hospitals in this area have neonatal capabilities...they are opening a new section of Rancho Springs that may have that?? Hope this helps.