To know the history of Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center is to understand the history of healthcare in the Conejo Valley.

Back in 1962, two years before Thousand Oaks was incorporated as the newest city in Ventura County, a group of physicians pooled their resources to build the first hospital in the Conejo Valley. Located at the corner of Erbes Road and Hillcrest Drive, the Conejo Valley Community Hospital, as it was called, had 33 beds and a modest Emergency Room.

A small handful of doctors in the area took turns staffing the ER. Ambulance runs were conducted by Don Pruner, owner of Conejo Ambulance Co. and later, after he expanded to other local areas, Pruner Ambulance Co. He used his 1958 Pontiac Ambulance to transport patients. Volunteer firemen helped with the ER runs which totaled 15-per-month. EMT's were non-existent in the area, but when extra professionals were needed, Don paid off-duty firemen and sheriff's deputies $5.00-a-run to assist.

After three to four years the little hospital, as it was affectionately called, became so busy, due to the increased growth in population, that a new 20-bed patient wing was added on, giving the little hospital a total of 63 beds.

Just about that time, the Linde Corporation, a Los Angeles development company, drew-up plans to build a 4-story hospital in the western portion of Thousand Oaks at Lynn and Janss Roads, an area that was rapidly growing. On Sunday, November 10th, 1968 at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon, city officials, local dignitaries, hospital staff members, and residents gathered to celebrate the dedication of Los Robles Hospital at the official ribbon-cutting and open house. Two days later on Tuesday, November 12, 1968, the first patient was admitted to the 223-bed hospital. At a cost of $10 million to build with an additional $2 million spent on state-of-the-art equipment, Los Robles Hospital was the pride of the community.

A little over a year later, the "little hospital" (Conejo Valley Community Hospital) was acquired by the Linde Corp. With the success of Los Robles Hospital, it was only a matter of time that the "little hospital" would close. Today the buildings are used by Hillcrest Christian School. While Los Robles Hospital became busy serving the healthcare needs of the growing community, the Linde Corp. in 1971 decided to leave the hospital business and sold Los Robles Hospital to its present day owners, HCA, Inc. (Hospital Corporation of America).