Family Gathers at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital for ‘Tree of Life’ Dedication in Dick Rivers’ Memory

Friday, November 16, 2018, RIDGECREST, California: On Wednesday, October 24, 2018 the family of the late Dick Rivers gathered at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital's Tree of Life memorial to dedicate a leaf in his memory. Dick was a China Lake Fire Fighter for thirty-two years. Rivers and his family are long-time Ridgecrest residents having made Ridgecrest their home in 1954. Dick and his wife Karen were married for fifty-three years and subsequently, all four of his children and all the grandchildren were born at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. When asked why Karen decided to dedicate the leaf and donation her late husband's name she stated that it only seemed natural to honor him in this manner taking into consideration the deep family roots the family has in our community and the part the hospital has played. Karen Rivers served as a Pink Lady at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital.

In attendance for the dedication were his wife, Karen Rivers, daughter and son-in-law Ricca Charlon and Dave Pruett, daughter and son-in-law Erin and Ron Strand and son, Seth Rivers. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren present were Kaleb Griffin, Easton Griffin, Nick Griffin, Avery Griffin, Tucker Griffin, Josh Griffin, Markelle Griffin and Hilary Griffin. Not present were Rivers' daughter, Katie Deloach and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Terrance Deloach, Kiera Deloach, Ashley McNamara, Brian McNamara and Hayden McNamara. All children and grandchildren reside in Ridgecrest and all were born at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital.

The Tree of Life has played a major part in the hospital's long tradition of supporting our community by way of memorializing and honoring Ridgecrest residents and organizations through donations for the Tree. Each leaf, brick and acorn hold memories of Ridgecrest families past and present. One-hundred percent of the donations made to the Foundation on behalf of the Tree are used to benefit the campaigns of Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. Over the years the donations from the Tree of Life have raised thousands of dollars to support the hospital and the community it cares for.

Kim Metcalf, the Director of the RRH Development Foundation said "Looking at the Tree you cannot help but reflect upon the history of our hospital. Having been born here in Ridgecrest myself, I see so many of the families on the Tree that helped form our community and make it what it is today. It is a walk down memory lane that should be appreciated and reflected upon. I am so happy to see new families sharing their part of history on the leaves of the Tree."

If you have questions regarding the Tree of Life or are interested in making a donation please contact the RRH Development Foundation at (760)499-3955.

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About Ridgecrest Regional Hospital

Ridgecrest Regional Hospital is a nonprofit, full service, acute care hospital, accredited by DNV Healthcare. Located in Ridgecrest, California, it was founded in 1945 by Dr. Thomas A. Drummond, who realized the need for medical care, to support the then recently established Naval Ordnance Test Station. Today, RRH continues as the only regional healthcare system providing a variety of services to the rural communities of the Southern Sierra. Our Vision is to be a leader with other healthcare providers in offering the highest quality, patient-centered, affordable healthcare and wellness services to the people of our service area.

The RRH health system currently consists of 78 active medical staff members and advance practice professionals, offering multi-specialty healthcare and state-of-the-art facilities, including Gastroenterology Lab, Cardiology, Dermatology, Orthopedics, Pediatrics and an accredited Sleep Lab, to name a few. The hospital also offers a Cancer Center, as part of an ongoing oncology affiliation with UC Davis Health Cancer Care Network, and is one of only a number of hospitals across the country to install FDA-approved state-of-the-art automated breast screening ultrasound technology in the Women’s Imaging Department, clinically proven to increase cancer detection by 35.7%. The hospital has been awarded the ACR gold seal of accreditation in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, representing the highest level of image quality and patient safety and the Emergency Department has been designated by Kern County Public Health, as a Level IV trauma center, providing stabilization and advanced trauma life support.

Future plans include a new Emergency Room, new helipad for air ambulance services and construction is currently underway for the relocation of the South Medical Plaza. For more information, visit us at: Facebook.com/RidgecrestRegionalHospital.