A message from Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Kerry Heinrich, JD
We’ve talked about, planned for, and prayed over the idea of a new Loma Linda University Medical Center for some time now. In some ways, it seemed so far off. But we have reached some very exciting milestones as a team during the past few weeks, and I want to share them with you.
On July 16, the first vertical steel beams for the new Adult Tower were secured into place. That morning was one that I have dreamed about for years. Some of you have commented that there has been a break in crane operations recently. This break was scheduled into our construction plan and allowed the work crew to safely perform the thousands of critical welds necessary to secure the podium portion of the building.
Our hospital construction site will begin looking very different over the next few months. As we move into August, you will start seeing the steel scaffolding for both the Adult Hospital and the Children’s Hospital Tower begin rapid ascents. By the end of the year, the full frame of the building should be in place. Loma Linda’s new skyline will be a reality.
Our project is on schedule. The reality of a new hospital has always seemed like a dream. Those vertical steel beams rising to the sky prove we’ll have a new hospital sooner than we think. We don’t just have a super-sized hole in the ground anymore. There’s a steel superstructure rising into the sky. I hope you’re excited about what you see. There are some great photos of our recent progress here. I have asked our communication department to make a priority of posting frequent construction updates on our LLUH News website, so please check there for bi-monthly updates and photos on the project.
Finally, a special thank you from the bottom of my heart to each of you. The last few years have been a continuous journey of improvement. I am proud to report that each of you has contributed to our successfully reaching our financial, quality and performance improvement targets. Our focused commitment to these items continues, but I want to take a moment to just say thank you. Our performance plays a key role in how we are able to position ourselves as we continue with our building project. Every day, every week we all have learned how to do things smarter and better. And I am the one who has the privilege to report on your amazing work and commitment to those improvements to our stakeholders.
It is because of your efforts that we are where we are with this project, and I am so honored to represent all of you.
Recently I had a family member need care here, and during that time I was able to watch what happens here from the perspective of a family member. I was so impressed with the personal touch with which our health care is delivered. Thank you to each one of you for what you do to make this place work every day.