Dameron Hospital, one of Stockton’s most storied institutions, is banking on a hiring spree and new medical technology to show patients they don’t have to leave the city to get top-notch medical care.
The hospital says it has added 489 jobs since a new Modesto-based operator, American Advanced Management, took control of the hospital in December 2024. About 240 of those new employees are registered nurses.
“While other hospitals are cutting back, we’re investing in our people,” Cassandra Lacondeguy, the hospital’s chief nursing officer, said in a statement.
Dameron’s improvements come at a critical time for the 114-year-old hospital.
AAM assumed control of Dameron as it was teetering on the brink of closure and could have been forced to shutter. In taking over, AAM leader Gurpreet Singh, a gastroenterologist, vowed to “preserve access to quality health care” by expanding services.
Convincing patients to seek care in Stockton can be a challenge. To find the closest hospitals that have been rated at least four out of five stars in Medicare’s annual quality survey, patients need to travel to Kaiser Permanente’s Manteca Medical Center or Sutter Tracy Community Hospital.
In Stockton, St. Joseph’s Medical Center fell to three stars in the latest survey, compared to four stars last year. Dameron also slipped, from three stars in 2025 to two stars this year. San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp has remained at two stars for the past two years.
Dameron’s latest investments could make a difference in improving its quality ratings.
About 270 of the hospital’s new jobs — about 80% — are workers who will be represented by a union.
That’s important because earlier this year, one of the unions representing Dameron workers raised concerns about outsourcing work.
John Culver, a business representative for the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 29 said in March that the hospital wanted to outsource about 70% of the workers represented by the union. The action would have displaced about 54 jobs in units like housekeeping, maintenance and phlebotomy.
In additional to increasing its staffing levels, Dameron is making other critical efforts to develop new services. It is augmenting its current departments while investing in new medical technology.
One of the most prominent new initiatives is a Cardiac Catheterization Lab to diagnose and treat heart ailments. In addition, there’s a collaboration with Stanford Hospital to provide better care for patients recovering from strokes.
The hospital also is bolstering its orthopedic department. An orthopedic surgeon specializing in spinal issues has joined the staff, Dameron officials say, and the unit will have advanced surgical imaging and navigation technology. The hospital boasts that 9 out of 10 of its patients admitted for joint issues are discharged within 24 hours to allow them to recover at home.
Besides its new nurses, the hospital says it now has more nursing assistants, emergency department technicians and patient support staff as well. The new hires have been used to support laboratory services, diagnostic imaging and cardiology. As a result, Lacondeguy said, patient satisfaction is on the upswing.
“Every nurse we add means more time at the bedside and safer care for our patients, and our patients are noticing,” she said.
Because of the new investments, she added, “patients can get the care they need right here in Stockton — close to home and close to family.”