Loma Linda University Health unveils record $1.2 billion expansion
July 21, 2014 | Loma Linda, California, United States | Adventist Review staff
Loma Linda University Health announced a record $1.2 billion expansion last week that will include the construction of two new hospital buildings and other facilities.
The Seventh-day Adventist-operated organization in southern California broke the news about the project, dubbed Vision 2020, at a 10 a.m. ceremony attended by top hospital and university officials and more than 2,000 guests.
Richard Hart, right, president of Loma Linda University Health, welcoming Dennis and Carol Troesh to the stage after announcing the couple’s $100 million gift during ceremonies held on campus on Tuesday, July 15. Image courtesy LLUH/ANN
”Now is the time to be bold, to look toward what can be, and be daring,” said Richard Hart, president of Loma Linda University Health, or LLUH. “So it is with profound excitement that I have the privilege of revealing Vision 2020, a dream of a healthier, more whole world that has been in our hearts and minds for the past few years.”
LLUH plans to raise the $1.2 billion through several sources, including $350 million in philanthropic giving, according to local news reports. Officials said at the ceremony that the first $100 million gift would come from Dennis and Carol Troesh, owners of Robertson’s Ready Mix, a major producer of ready-mixed concrete in the western U.S.
“Over the years, God has abundantly blessed our family, and it is our privilege and honor to give back to the community we have called home for most of our lives,” said Carol Troesh, who under the name of C.A. Hartnell also has authored four historical fiction books for children.
LLUH called the initiative the largest in its history and the most significant investment in health care in the region. With the $100 million, it has collected a total of $149 million toward its goal of $1.2 billion.
LLUH said in a statement that the following projects were expected to be completed by 2020:
A new, 100-bed Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital tower, connected via glass walkway with the existing Children’s Hospital, boosting to 359 the total number of licensed beds, including expansion of the Loma Linda University Health Neonatal Intensive Care Units, already one of the largest facilities in the country.
A new, 276-bed Adult Medical Center, including 96 intensive care beds and 180 medical-surgical beds.
A new, $60 million Loma Linda University Health Center for Discovery, a unique interdisciplinary hub for research and the Wholeness Institute to improve health outcomes for people in southern California and beyond.
LLUH, known for its groundbreaking research in plant-based diets and its medical advances in cardiology, promised that the expansion plan would help redefine health.
“Vision 2020 is a campaign for a whole tomorrow, it is a catalyst that will bring together a vision for the future for the health of our community,” said Rachelle Bussell, senior vice president of advancement at LLUH.