Saint John's Begins Demolition of Main Wing
Construction of New Howard Keck Diagnostic and Treatment Center to Start on the Site This Summer

Demolition of Saint John’s Health Center’s Main Wing, which was erected more than 60 years ago by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, began Thursday. The process, which will take up to four months, is the next step of a major development and construction plan begun by the hospital after sustaining significant damage in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

New Howard Keck Diagnostic and Treatment Center

The four-story, 275,000-square-foot Howard Keck Diagnostic and Treatment Center, which will be built on the site of the original hospital, will begin construction in the summer of 2005 and be completed in 2009. It will be connected to the North Pavilion, the new 182-bed inpatient facility that opened in December 2004. Following completion of the Howard Keck Pavilion, Saint John’s will construct underground parking and a new entry plaza along Santa Monica Boulevard. This work, to be completed in mid-2010, will complete Phase One of Saint John’s Health Center’s Master Plan.

“Although we’ll be demolishing the original Main Wing, we will certainly be keeping the spirit of Saint John’s and our strong commitment to the community, said Bruce Lamoureux, CEO of Saint John’s Health Center. “Our mission to provide high-quality care that addresses the needs of the entire patient -- mind, body and spirit -- will not change; patients will just experience it in a new, state-of-the-art setting.”

Because the original building will be demolished one floor at a time, disruption to the rest of the hospital and patients is expected to be minimal during the dismantling process. Parking for the hospital and medical buildings will remain unchanged. However, the drop-off/cul-de-sac on Arizona and 22nd Street will be closed during this next phase of construction. Patient drop-off and pick up will now be located on Santa Monica Boulevard only; either at Denny Court or at the valet parking area just west of 23rd Street.

When completed, the new Howard Keck Diagnostic and Treatment Center, a gift of the W.M. Keck Foundation, will house the Weingart Foundation Emergency Department, the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation Radiation Oncology Center, and the Mrs. Henry E. Singleton Express Diagnostic Center, as well as a new surgery center, imaging department and cardiac catheterization laboratories. Additionally, facilities will include the Vasek Polak Cancer Center and Joyce Eisenberg Keefer Breast Center.

For six decades, Saint John’s Health Center has been providing families with quality care in a nurturing, respectful atmosphere that addresses the needs of the entire patient – mind, body and spirit. Ranked the number one community hospital in California, Saint John’s provides a full spectrum of treatment and diagnostic services in cardiac care, cancer care, orthopedics, labor and delivery, critical care and other specialties. The dedication and excellence of the nurses and physicians at Saint John’s, along with the Health Center’s attention to patient needs have helped Saint John’s set the standard for health care now and for years to come.

For more information, please call Saint John’s at (310) 829-5511 or visit the health center’s website at http://www.stjohns.org