Heritage Snapshot: Part 251

LOMA LINDA>> Since before the September 1972 opening of the 120-bed Loma Linda Community Hospital, founder Daniel L. Cotton sought affiliation agreements with Loma Linda University Medical Center. In April 1979, the first steps were taken towards building a relationship that would eventually develop into a major expansion for the Medical Center. Harrison S. Evans, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry, presented a preliminary proposal for an affiliation with the Community Hospital. Advantages included its potential use as a base for family medicine, and the Board voted in favor of the proposal and recommended further study. At that time, the Board of Trustees had no idea of the Medical Center that would someday develop out of their arrangement. As early as 1981, physical medicine and rehabilitation, vital components of the School of Medicine, were reported as greatly needing to be strengthened. On July 15, 1982, the LLUMC Board of Trustees voted to purchase the profitable Loma Linda Community Hospital and ownership was transferred on August 12. In December 1988, Medical Center President David B. Hinshaw Sr., MD, reported that his Administration had explored different possible uses for the Community Hospital, including an orthopedic and rehabilitation facility. In 1992, Dr. Hinshaw reported that rehabilitation has always been an area of emphasis for the Seventh-day Adventist Church and that even though certain modalities have changed with time, the emphasis still remained. The Finance Committee of the Board recommended that Administration study the expansion needs of the rehabilitation service in depth. Meanwhile, in order to create a more seamless health-care delivery system, on May 19, 1993, the Medical Center Board voted to merge the Community Hospital and the Medical Center, effective July 1. On December 15 the hospitals consolidated their two medical staffs and where henceforth known as the “Medical Staff of Loma Linda University Medical Center.” On January 25, 2001, the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center (LLUAHSC) Board of Trustees voted to name Michael H. Jackson, MPH, senior vice president for LLUAHSC and Loma Linda University Medical Center, as project director. Plans featured single-patient rooms, and facilities for therapeutic gardening. “Research shows a linkage between an individual’s medical outcome and his or her interaction with nature," said Jackson. "This environment not only encompasses the interior architecture, but also the landscaping that surrounds the facility.” The Loma Linda University Medical Center East Campus complex, sitting on a 20-acre parcel a half mile east of Loma Linda University Medical Center, at that time consisted of the Community Hospital, the Loma Linda University Medical Center Ambulatory Services, and two office buildings now known as the Loma Linda University Medical Center East Campus Professional Plaza. While an average hospitalization lasts from two to four days, a rehabilitation patient may spend up to a few months in an inpatient facility. Research shows that patients hospitalized in a healing environment spend less time and experience better results, including less anxiety and discomfort, lower blood pressure, and improved pain management. “Our goal is that, when the project is completed, we will rank in the top five rehabilitation institutions in the nation and be a model of excellent service, positive clinical outcomes, and cost-effective operation,” said Jackson. Based on studies of the relationship of the healing environment to clinical outcomes, patients are empowered with choices, active family involvement (including overnight facilities), a focus on wellness and health education, and a resource library. In addition to plans for a connection with nature, positive distractions include pet therapy and the use of humor as a healing agent. Carpet and acoustically treated walls and ceiling help reduce noise and eliminate bothersome environmental stressors. “The fundamental purpose of the East Campus is to create a whole-person, healing environment that transforms the lives of men, women, and children at a place of healing where the highest quality whole-person care is enriched by education and cutting edge research. It is our privilege to serve at a time when patients and families are experiencing the trauma of a disabling injury or illness, or are impacted by a chronic condition that reduces the quality of their life. In a tangible way, we seek to transmit hope, as we work in partnership with our patients and families and one another to optimize functionality, independence, and quality of life.” On Sunday, January 28, 2001, six rehabilitation patients hospitalized on Unit 6100 of the Medical Center became the first patients to transfer to newly renovated rooms on the East Campus.