Patients Break Ground on New Shriners for Children Medical Center

Patient ambassadors of Shriners for Children Medical Center broke ground on a new $77 million, state-of-the-art facility on Fair Oaks Avenue on May 27, 2015. The patients broke ground on the medical center along with Imperial Potentate of Shriners International, Dale W. Stauss, and Past Imperial Potentate and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Shriners Hospitals for Children, Douglas E. Maxwell.

Groundbreaking ceremonies typically feature executives and officials of an organization, but at Wednesday’s event, Patient Ambassadors Rachel Roitman and Brock Waidmann led the ceremony as co-hosts, introducing speakers and thanking all the Shriners, government officials, and staff members who are working on the project. Larry Adamson, P.G.M., member of the Board of Governors served as “Master of Ceremonies” and assisted Brock and Rachel in the introductions of key invited guests and dignitaries. Other patient ambassadors who participated in the ceremony included brothers Alex and Ryan Post, Alyssa Mercado, Anthony Sanchez, Gianna Mantucca and Ana Paula Pinto.

The young co-hosts invited a number of officials to speak at the ceremony, including David R. Doan, P.G.M., Chairman of the Board of Governors, Shriners Hospitals for Children – Los Angeles; Lou Lazatin, Hospital Administrator; Terry Torneck, Mayor, City of Pasadena; Judy Chu, California District 27, U.S. House of Representatives; Joy Moore, Grand High Priestess, Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America as well as top ranking officials of Shriners International.

The move to the City of Pasadena will enhance the new partnership between Shriners for Children Medical Center and Huntington Memorial Hospital, which will bring exceptional specialty pediatric care to residents of the greater San Gabriel Valley, and the Southwest. The partnership also brings together two of southern California’s best-known and most widely respected health care organizations.

“This is truly a win-win opportunity for Shriners Hospitals for Children, Huntington Memorial Hospital and, more importantly, the children we treat,” said Douglas E. Maxwell, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the hospital network.

About the new facility:

The planned facility, located on 2 acres at the corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Hurlbut Street, will replace the current 60-year old hospital in Los Angeles. The facility is scheduled to open in mid-2017.

“The building we’re in now was built in 1952, and it no longer meets earthquake standards, and we can build this new facility for what it would have cost to retrofit the other,” said David R. Doan, P.G.M., Chairman of the hospital’s Board of Governors.

Plans for the new 75,000 square foot, three-story medical center will include two ambulatory surgery rooms and six PACU suites, and 20 clinic examination rooms. The new facility will offer treatment for a full range of pediatric orthopedic conditions, hand disorders, cleft lip and palate, and reconstructive and plastic surgies related to burn injuries and scarring. We will also offer a Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) program that provides customized prosthetic devices and rehabilitive care. Other addition to benefit patients will include a 17,000 square foot exterior therapy garden, kid-friendly interactive and educational activity areas in the lobby, and an expanded physical and occupational therapy area, including a specially designed 2nd floor rehabilitation and mobility training terrace.

“We could not have selected a better partner than Huntington Memorial Hospital in this co-located and shared services partnership to better serve the pediatric specialty needs of Pasadena, the greater San Gabriel Valley, and across the Southwest,” said Lou Lazatin, Administrator.

The hospital has retained two firms in the planning and construction of this new facility: architectual firm SRG Partnership, Inc., Portland, OR, and CO Architects, Los Angeles, CA. Local construction management by DPR Construction.

Shriners Hospitals for Children® – Los Angeles is a specialty hospital for orthopedic conditions, prothestics and orthotics, hand disorders, burn scars, and cleft and lip palate. We provide world-class care to children under 18 regardless of the families’ abilty to pay.