FRESNO, CALIF. - When we built the first surgical hospital back in the late 1980's, our 76-doctor investor group didn't have a grand plan or a vision for the future - basically, we were flying by the seat of our pants. As surgeons operating at the Fresno Surgery Center, we wanted a bed unit so patients who needed inpatient care could receive it right in our facility. We also had a sense that we could offer something different and better in terms of patient comfort.

Still known as Fresno Surgery Center, our facility is an amalgam of the existing surgery center with an attached 20-bed hospital unit. Although it has been refurbished and re-equipped since it opened in 1988, I'm proud to say the original building and floor plan have stood the test of time. Our facility continues to compete effectively for patients and generates a positive revenue stream. It also became the model for five surgical hospitals we have in various stages of planning. Here's the story of how the Fresno Surgery Center grew from a surgery center to a surgery center with a bed unit to the country's first surgical hospital.