Grossmont Hospital

In early 1952, eastern San Diego County's citizens voted overwhelmingly to establish the Grossmont Hospital District. Local civic leaders and physicians envisioned it as the vehicle for building a modern hospital to address the healthcare needs of their rapidly growing post-World War II communities. In August 1955, the district subsequently opened Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa. For the next sixty-five years, the institution grew to serve suburban and rural residents spread over the 750-square-mile district. In dealing with the daunting challenges of modern healthcare, the governing board entered a precedent-setting lease for hospital operations with San Diego-based nonprofit Sharp HealthCare in 1991. Historian James D. Newland has partnered with Grossmont Hospital and the Grossmont Healthcare District in chronicling the inspiring story of this iconic regional institution.