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| December 2018 |
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Topping Off
A major construction highpoint Even the name has lofty overtones. Topping Off has come to mean the ceremony when the last steel beam is lifted into place in large building projects.
The top has been reached, the height is confirmed, and it is a time to celebrate this first major phase of construction. And we are there! Our Campus Transformation Project is ready for Topping Off. This means our new hospital structure, all 16 stories, has now reached the top floor — a milestone for us to celebrate. This has been a long journey, stimulated not by a desire to grow larger or have a fancy new building, but by a state mandate to prepare California hospitals for the expected major earthquakes of the future. We talked and planned, and planned again, before our current design and strategy emerged. Now we are on our way. The 1 million-square-foot facility is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2020, with occupancy coming in the spring of 2021. While there are always many people who make large projects like this possible, I want to acknowledge three individuals who have been absolutely critical to the Campus Transformation Project. Kerry Heinrich, our Executive Vice President for Hospital Affairs, has taken the clear leadership role in conceptualizing what the future of healthcare will look like and, therefore, what features and services should be in a building for the next 50 years or more. We needed to anticipate new inventions, changing patient care patterns and all the major forces impacting healthcare today and into the future. Thank you, Kerry, for an incredible job well done. The second person is Angela Lalas, who is a force to be reckoned with. As our Chief Financial Officer, she is a master at running formulas, preparing documents and conducting analyses from all angles. This has been absolutely essential as we have developed budgets for the bond market, state controllers, philanthropy and our own strategies. And finally, Eric Schilt, our Assistant Vice President of Construction. Eric has been the primary interface with our various contractors, government agencies, inspection teams, and our own campus family. His mastery of detail to identify what can and cannot be done and why, as well as its financial impact, is essential to keep us on target and within budget. So what will this new facility mean to Loma Linda University Health? While we have recognized for some time that we had to build a new facility, the various planning stages have been invaluable in re-examining Loma Linda University Health’s purpose, its future and the changing face of academic medicine. We struggled not only with what clinical services will be needed, but how we will best educate students and residents to provide those services. We are, after all, first and foremost an academic institution committed to preparing generations of health professionals. We do this by embedding that education, for all healthcare disciplines, in the real world of patient and community care. So the building’s design needed to serve those goals. We also needed to encourage philanthropy by identifying various parts of the building that may be of interest to donors. Naming opportunities for rooms, floors, operating suites, lobbies, dining areas, halls, and towers are all being offered to prospective supporters of Loma Linda University Health who want to be part of this incredible step into the future. While much has been raised, there are still many opportunities to leave a lasting impact on this institution. To make a gift or to learn more, please visit lluhvision2020.org or call 909-651-2020. We will celebrate the Topping Off ceremony on December 11 at 4 p.m., watching as the ceremonial final steel beam is lifted into place by the huge cranes and skillful handlers who have been assembling the building. We will watch from the top of P4 — our new parking structure by the Faculty Medical Offices, across Barton Road south from the hospital. The public is welcome to become part of Loma Linda University Health’s history at that event. The ceremony will be streamed live via Facebook on the Loma Linda University Health page and the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital page, as well as available to employees through One Portal. This is a transformative time for us. It will set the stage for the long-term future of our beloved institution. My hopes and prayers are that we have planned well. May our God continue to watch after this place for generations to come.
Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH
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November 29, 2018
Notes from the President — Topping Off
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