Press Releases: Southern California
May 6, 2004
Kaiser Permanente builds new West Los Angeles hospital: latest of four hospital projects underway in city
LOS ANGELES – Kaiser Permanente will break ground, May 7th, for a new hospital to replace its West Los Angeles Medical Center. Construction on the new hospital, one of four major Kaiser Permanente hospital rebuilding projects underway in Los Angeles, is evidence of the organization's strength, stability and commitment to the community it serves. "We've been serving West Los Angeles since 1974 and we plan to continue meeting the health needs of our members and the community far into the future," said Howard J. Fullman, MD, Area Medical Director. The $169 million dollar facility is slated for completion in January of 2007.
The new hospital will be built to utilize Kaiser Permanente's revolutionary electronic medical record system, KP HealthConnect™, to enhance patient care, coordination and safety. The project will include a new parking structure and a 24-hour pharmacy. "KP HealthConnect™ will provide real-time medical information for physicians and others who care for our patients in our new state-of-the-art hospital," said Dr. Fullman.
The new five-story hospital tower will house the emergency department, radiology and lab services, five new inpatient operating rooms as well as a central facility for sterilizing equipment and instruments. Three 26 bed medical surgical units will be part of the new hospital along with inpatient pharmacy, labor and delivery suites, and a nursery focused on family care.
Founded 30 years ago, the medical center provides comprehensive services including primary care, internal medicine, women's health care, pediatric, teenage medicine, and emergency services, as well as specialty services such as plastic surgery, allergy, dermatology and ophthalmology.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Region includes more than 49,900 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,000 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at kaiserpermanente.org.
