New Beginning for Long-Time Costa Mesa Business: Bristol Park Medical Group

Submitted by C. Colley

Bristol Park Medical Group, one of Costa Mesa’s oldest and most respected primary care medical groups is re-opening its Costa Mesa location with a new building on June 15, 2009. The original office was torn down last year with the plan to rebuild on that spot. Located at 722 Baker Street, on the northwest side of the Bristol and Baker Street intersection, the new office will house four family medicine physicians and a pediatrician. Like its other locations, the Costa Mesa office will offer the convenience of laboratory and routine x-rays services available on site.

Originally opened May 5, 1961, the first Bristol Park office went through several additions over the years as the medical group began to grow. According to Patrick Kapsner, chief executive, the idea of a new building had been on the drawing board for some time. “With the company’s 50th anniversary coming in 2011, the decision was finally made to move forward and re-build for a fresh new start. It was time for the building to match all the caring staff and leading-edge technology we have inside,” says Kapsner. “We’ll be dedicating the new building to the group’s founders and the “first generation” of Bristol Park physicians who set the standards for quality and caring that make us one of the most honored and copied medical groups around today.”

Bristol Park Medical Group was founded in 1961 by Drs. Jack Hagadorn and Reinhard Marthen, who along with Jack Hammett, their original Administrator, chose a location that had been a Costa Mesa bean field to build their dream medical office.

Mr. Hammett, himself a former mayor of Costa Mesa recently reminisced, “We had to borrow five thousand dollars from our office manager to qualify for the financing to put up the first building. That was a lot of money back in 1961 when gas was 31 cents a gallon and you could get a loaf of bread for 21 cents. There are a lot of memories attached to that site.”

Kapsner agrees. “We’re very excited to re-open and renew our long-standing relationship with the city of Costa Mesa. And, we’re looking forward to continuing to bring high quality medical care to the families of Costa Mesa and the surrounding communities.” Bristol Park Medical Group was honored last year as a “Top 20” medical group in the state of California, and a “Top 4” group in Orange County by Integrated Healthcare Association, along with a four star rating (top honor) from the Office of the Patient Advocate of the State of California.