The Coronado community takes pride in having its own hospital and likes to know what’s happening at Sharp Coronado. I caught up with Scott Evans, PharmD, MHA, Chief Strategy Officer and Market Chief Executive Officer and CEO of Sharp Regional Hospitals – including Sharp Coronado Hospital, and Chief Medical Officer Greg Apel, MD, to find out what’s new and upcoming at Sharp Coronado.
Sharp Coronado Community Pharmacy
Existing and new customers of the Sharp Coronado Community Pharmacy should know that starting September 6, the pharmacy will have expanded hours, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6:30 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am to 3 pm. They have doubled their prescription volume and offer free delivery to the Village, Strand and Imperial Beach on weekdays. Patients’ insurance co-pays for medication are contractually fixed, so their cost remains the same wherever they get the prescriptions filled. The pharmacy takes most major insurance brands, Medicare, and also TRICARE.
Pharmacy Manager Felicia Villaroman, PharmD welcomes residents to try the Coronado Community Pharmacy.
The pharmacy doesn’t typically have long wait times and has that small-town pharmacy feel, but is backed by the $5 billion Sharp HealthCare umbrella. With a high-tech computer system, it facilitates great inpatient and outpatient coordination, which allows for the integration of healthcare records, and for physicians to electronically send prescriptions. Pharmacy Manager Felicia Villaroman, PharmD, who has been with Sharp Coronado Hospital for the last ten years, five of those as manager, warmly welcomes new patients and always strives to provide excellent customer service.
The pharmacy, located at 230 Prospect Place, has extended hours beginning on September 6.
If you’ve not been in the pharmacy, you may be surprised by the array of items offered. In addition to over-the-counter medicines, personal care products, and home health supplies, you’ll find cards from local artists, See’s Candy, Sharp swag, sunglasses, toys, and an assortment of drinks and snacks.
Emergency Department progress
The Emergency Department has seen exponential growth. Dr. Apel shared that they previously averaged 30 patients a day with eight beds, but after a phased construction project, which began in March 2023, the Emergency Department reopened in January 2025 with 16 beds, and now sees an average of 80–90 patients per day. This upgrade has allowed for the enhancement of the quality and scope of services, including a more comprehensive stroke treatment center, which puts Coronado on the map as one of the smallest hospitals in the country to achieve primary stroke center certification.
Off-island patients account for 20 percent of the volume and typically Mondays are the busiest days. While the emergency staff treat a wide range of ailments, patients with respiratory issues, falls, and abdominal pain are the most common. From triage to treatment completion, the length of stay is lowest of any ED in San Diego.
“We are one of the highest rated Emergency Departments, based on wait times and patient satisfaction,” says Dr. Apel.
The hospital has an “I’m on my way” button on the Sharp website at sharp.com/same-day-care, so patients can start the process before they arrive. The final phase of construction, which includes the exterior entrance, has a projected completion date of January 2027. Dr. Apel highlights that the new dedicated ambulance bay will be especially impactful.
Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
Evans points out that a Cardiovascular Center of Excellence is in the planning stage. Decisions like where to create a Cardiac Cath lab — if it should be a diagnostic or interventional lab — and other factors are being considered within the Sharp HealthCare system. He emphasizes that this will potentially be a shared service with Sharp Grossmont Hospital and will need major philanthropic support to make this new venture possible.
Additional offerings
Other major programs of the 181-bed hospital include orthopedics, especially in the area of joint replacements, which average more than 2,400 per year, equating to the same volume performed at Sharp Memorial Hospital. To offer the most advanced surgical options to benefit patients, Sharp Coronado Hospital was the first in the county and one of the first in the world to exclusively use da Vinci 5 robots. The Sewell Healthy Living Center offers a wide array of services to help people live healthier lives. Some of the newer programs include bariatric surgery and weight loss programs.
The Second Best Shop is Sharp Coronado’s Thrift Store, run by the Coronado Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary. Shoppers can score bargains from a good selection of clothes for children, women, and men, along with toys and a variety of home decor and other items, with all proceeds going to support hospital projects. Consider donating gently used or new items, but note they do not accept books. Always looking for volunteers, The Second Best Shop is located right next to the Emergency Department entrance, and is open Monday through Friday from 11 am to 3 pm.
Coronado is fortunate to have had a community hospital here since 1941, which merged and became Sharp Coronado Hospital 31 years ago in 1994, and has consistently updated its services to provide the best patient care since that time. To keep up to date with Sharp Coronado, visit sharp.com/locations/hospitals/sharp-coronado.