Heritage Snapshot: Part 114

Because of deep convictions about mission, the position of the Loma Linda University Medical Center’s board of trustees and administration was that LLUMC would have to manage the Murrieta project, including hospital operations on a day-to-day basis. After much discussion, all parties, including the new hospital’s board of trustees agreed. The Medical Center administration would appoint the executive team. Carefully crafted transactions were completed in June 2007. Civic leaders and elected officials were very supportive and went out of their way to help navigate all the red-tape issues that can bog down such a project. The Medical Center engaged Layton Construction, and Frauenshuh HealthCare, both national firms, to build the hospital and nearby medical office building, totaling 290,000 square feet. At the May 21, 2009 “topping off” ceremony, marking the half-way point in construction, then Murrieta Mayor Gary Thomasian said, “Loma Linda is recognized as a worldwide leader in providing healthcare. This means our community will have world-class medical service.” However, in March 2010, new federal legislation eliminated physician investment in hospitals where they referred patients. In the course of time, the initial physician-investors were bought out, as was the initial development company. Attorney Kent Hansen, as general counsel and leader of the Medical Center’s legal team, has stated on numerous occasions that this project has been the most complex transaction he has ever worked on in his career. Originally named Physicians Hospital Murrieta, unanimous results from focus groups conducted in the area by the Medical Center's marketing team resulted in naming the facility Loma Linda University Medical Center—Murrieta. It is now a full-service, 106-bed hospital with six operating rooms and a 19-bay emergency department. If necessary, in time, a Phase II expansion will increase the bed capacity to 250. Loma Linda University Medical Center has already increased the campus from 26 acres to 44. It is well-positioned on the North side of Murrieta, with good visibility and access from Interstate 215. Financial analysts are predicting, as the economy rebounds the area will flourish. On February 4, 2011, at the grand opening ceremony attended by 800 regional, state, and federal officials, Murrieta Mayor Randon Lane explained the financial impact the new facility would have on the region as a big economic-development boon for the corridor. Opened just 26 months from its groundbreaking, the new hospital was identified by US representative Darrell Issa, state Senator Bill Emmerson, and state Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries, as the fastest-built medical center in United States history. Services include advanced cardiology, radiation oncology, a family birthing center, a well-baby nursery, pain management, wound and hyperbaric medicine, urgent care, women’s specific diagnostics, and a variety of surgical specialties. It has accommodated southwest Riverside County’s first heart surgeries. With its accompanying $20 million medical office building, the $230 million state-of-the-art complex, dubbed “the Murrieta Miracle,” promises to be the medical hub for the region. It is projected eventually to employ 500 and will be used by 250 board-certified physicians, as well as health care students and resident physicians from Loma Linda. To illustrate local interest, on February 6, 2011, the new hospital was prepared to host 2,000 visitors at a public open house. Even though it was Super Bowl Sunday, 10,000 showed up. According to Ruthita Fike, LLUMC’s Administrator and Chief Executive Officer, “It was staggering. I’ve never in my entire career had anything like that happen,” she said. “People walked up and volunteered stories of their interface with Loma Linda in the past, of their belief in our integrity, of their desire to have somebody with compassion that knew them as a human being. It was extremely touching and placed the bar very high.” Tour participants saw that the new hospital meshes faith and healing. Loma Linda University’s motto, “To Make Man Whole,” covers a wall of the lobby and echoes the facility’s philosophy. At the entrance, a life-size bronze sculpture by Colorado artist Victor Issa, titled “Come Unto Me,” depicts a seated Jesus flanked by children, an adult, and pets. The new facility now provides the highest quality medical care with a mission-focused team of medical professionals. Over time, Medical Center administration anticipates that the attractiveness of the area as a place to live and raise families will result in even more of Loma Linda’s influence being felt in the area. Just before opening day, CEO Bruce Christian issued a statement. “Twenty-seven months ago, we broke ground and today, we are ready to begin meeting the medical needs of this wonderful community. We are grateful to those who helped us move so quickly, from the construction teams, to our employees who have prepared themselves and this facility to our physicians who have supported and trained hard to be here, we express gratitude to all those who have made this day possible. We began a journey that now includes the community in a more tangible way, and we are looking forward to sharing our motto, To Make Man Whole, with our neighbors, friends, and families.” After final approval by the California Department of Public Health, and receipt of its license to operate, the final preparation included bringing on-line the hospital’s information technology system, including all-electronic medical records. On Friday, April 15, 2011, a small crowd of hospital administrators and elected officials from both Murrieta and Temecula gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the hospital. The cover was removed from the hospital’s entry sign, announcing the emergency department was ready to serve patients. Hospital staff, dressed in scrubs, cheered in anticipation. Before the ribbon cutting ceremony was completed, Loma Linda University Medical Center—Murrieta accepted its first patients. By 8:30 am, two expectant mothers had registered in the emergency room, and another patient checked in for an elective procedure. Within six weeks of opening, the new facility’s emergency heliport had been used as much as three times a day. On June 7, 2013, cardiac surgeons performed their 100th open heart surgery.