Scripps Coastal Medical Center Opens in Escondido

ESCONDIDO — Scripps Health, at 488 East Valley Parkway, announced that it has purchased the assets of Penn Elm Medical Group, and the group’s nine primary care physicians are now on the medical staff of Scripps Coastal Medical Center. The transition was effective Jan. 1.
“Penn Elm’s physicians are a great addition to Scripps,” Kevin Hirsch, president of Scripps Coastal, said. “Like Scripps Coastal, they are highly respected and have been recognized for the high quality care they deliver to their patients. We share a commitment to patient-focused health care that has ranked the physicians of Scripps Coastal — and the former Penn Elm physicians — among the best medical groups for quality and patient satisfaction by the California Cooperative Healthcare Reporting Initiative year after year.”
Scripps Coastal Medical Center Escondido is the latest in Scripps Health’s expansion in North County. The San Diego-based nonprofit health system opened an expanded Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo in September and a new Scripps Coastal Medical Center Carlsbad in October. The new centers represent part of almost $2 billion Scripps is investing in improving and expanding its health care facilities in the coming decade. Scripps Coastal also opened a new medical office in Eastlake in November.
There will be little change for existing patients of the former Penn Elm group. The doctors have traditionally referred their patients to Scripps specialists and hospitals. The stronger Scripps affiliation will allow patients in inland North County greater access to Scripps programs and services throughout the region.
Patients with questions about their care can call a customer service specialist at (760) 745-2000 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information about Scripps services and a free calendar of health education programs and screenings, contact 1-800-SCRIPPS.
More information can be found at www.scripps.org.