Huntington Memorial Hospital Reaches Halfway Mark in Expansion of its Emergency and Trauma Center

PASADENA, Calif., March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Huntington Memorial Hospital announced today that it has reached the halfway mark in its ambitious expansion project which, when completed, will double the number of patients that can be seen in the Nan and Howard Schow Emergency & Trauma Center.

The two-phase project includes the construction of new facilities which add 20,000 square feet and a state-of-the-art design dedicated to emergency care.  That phase is complete and hospital staff is now seeing patients in the new space.  Work has recently begun on phase two which calls for a renovation of the existing Emergency & Trauma Center, the only such center in the entire San Gabriel Valley.  Upon completion, the two spaces will be joined together to create an integrated, 50-bed modern facility able to accommodate up to 90,000 visits per year.

"Our staff is committed to providing uninterrupted care for patients throughout the construction process," said Steven Ralph, hospital CEO.  "At the same time, we ask the community to be aware that while the new facility may look complete from outside, phase two is just now getting underway." 

The previous emergency and trauma center was designed to accommodate 30,000 patient visits per year.  But with the closure of many hospitals and trauma centers in Los Angeles County over the past decade, coupled with community growth, Huntington Hospital has been averaging 60,000 patient visits annually.  "As the last remaining emergency room in Pasadena and the only trauma center in the region, we felt it was critical to ensure our neighbors have ready access to emergency care, close to home," Ralph said.  "On behalf of the tens of thousands of people who turn to us for care, we are grateful to our community for recognizing the importance of this life saving project and joining us in ensuring the highest quality of emergency and trauma care are available as soon as possible."

The expansion of the Emergency & Trauma Center isn't the only way Huntington Hospital is looking to serve the community's ongoing healthcare needs and help alleviate the overcrowding of the emergency center.  In 2011 the hospital entered into a unique collaboration with the City of Pasadena, Huntington Medical Foundation and Community Health Alliance of Pasadena to open Pasadena Community Urgent Care (PCUC) at 3160 East Del Mar Blvd.  Staffed by physicians from Huntington Medical Foundation, PCUC provides immediate care for those times when people can't wait for a doctor's appointment, but the healthcare need isn't life threatening – a perfect place to go for broken bones, cold and flu symptoms, cuts, sprains, sports-related injuries, and high fever.  The Center also provides local employers with a full array of occupational medicine services.

Huntington Memorial Hospital is a 625-bed not-for-profit hospital that is home to the only Level II Trauma Center in the San Gabriel Valley. In addition to being granted Magnet® designation in 2011, Huntington Hospital has been ranked nationally by U.S. News and World Report in two specialties and was named the 8^th best hospital in California. Renowned for its programs in neurosciences, cardiovascular services and cancer care, Huntington Hospital is an active teaching hospital with graduate medical education programs in internal medicine and general surgery. Consistent with its mission the hospital provides millions of dollars annually in charity care, benefits for vulnerable populations, health research, education and training, and support programs that may otherwise be absent from the community. For more information, go to www.huntingtonhospital.com.

SOURCE Huntington Memorial Hospital

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