World-class Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center opens for patient care

The result of a 10-year design and construction process, the innovative, patient-focused academic medical facility also houses the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA.

"The opening of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, one of the most sophisticated and advanced medical facilities of its kind, is a significant event for Los Angeles, California and the world,'' said Dr. Gerald S. Levey, vice chancellor of medical sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Inside this new facility, UCLA's health care professionals will build upon the university hospital's traditions of unparalleled patient care and the education of tomorrow's doctors, and through research will find cures and better treatments for the devastating medical conditions that afflict mankind."

The new medical facility is one of the first total-replacement hospital projects to be built in accordance with California's latest seismic safety requirements. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake damaged the university's original facility, UCLA's leadership embarked on a mission to bring the finest in hospital design and technology to Los Angeles. World-renowned architects I.M. Pei and C.C. Pei and leading international health care designer Perkins+Will were brought in to design a beautiful, cutting-edge facility that incorporated the best ideas in medical science and patient care. Shortly afterward, an extraordinary alliance between UCLA, the state and federal governments, private donors, and an array of civic and cultural leaders was formed to create a world-class facility.

"Today, UCLA celebrates the opening of this beautiful new state-of-the art medical building," said Dr. David Feinberg, chief executive officer and interim associate vice chancellor of the UCLA Hospital System. "The new Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center will allow us to efficiently and compassionately meet the health care needs of our community and our world for many years to come. We are grateful to the community and the state for making this extraordinary new hospital possible, and to our medical staff who go the extra mile every day to save lives and deliver quality care to our patients."

The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a technological and architectural masterpiece conceived to meet the evolving needs of a 21st-century patient care and research center. The facility's highly advanced technology, set in a compassionate, patient-focused environment, gives clinicians new ways to monitor patients, fight disease, track information and survey patient progress.

The new building - which features 520 large, private patient rooms with sun-filled views and daybeds for family members, wireless Internet access for patients and guests, room service with customized meals, gardens, and outdoor play areas for pediatric patients - maximizes personal attention and holistic healing. In addition, the entire facility is surrounded by natural light, fountains and open terraces to inspire and welcome patients and staff.

Built with more than 3 million pounds of travertine marble from Tivoli, Italy - a gift from a grateful patient - the center features the latest technology, including wireless access to medical reports, lab results, clinical imaging and patient vital signs; audiovisual communications; diagnostics; robotics; imaging systems; and advanced audio and high-resolution video conferencing capabilities.

The 1 million-plus-square-foot, 10-story structure (eight above ground) is situated on four acres at the southwest corner of Westwood Plaza and Charles E. Young Drive South, on the UCLA campus.

UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital is uniquely designed to care for the physical and emotional well-being of children of all ages, from newborns to young adults. An innovative multimedia "welcome wall" greets patients, families, visitors and staff to the hospital. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to serve the most critically ill children with compassionate, family-centered pediatric care in an environment that is both welcoming and healing to children and their families.

The Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA is one of the world's leading mental health centers for patient care, research and education. While providing the most sophisticated medical care, the hospital offers a special healing environment for patients, featuring private rooms with abundant natural light and inspiring views, along with an outdoor patio to encourage therapeutic healing and interaction.

About the UCLA Health
For more than half a century, UCLA has been recognized as a leader in patient care, medical research and teaching. UCLA Medical Center is ranked No. 3 nationally and has been rated the best hospital in the western United States for the past 18 years by U.S. News & World Report. UCLA Health physicians provide an array of cutting-edge, research-based primary and specialty services at four hospitals on two campuses and at more than 75 clinic locations. For more information, visit www.uclahealth.org.