The first of three "big pours" began the construction of the foundation for Loma Linda University Health's hospital construction project.
A significant milestone has been reached in Loma Linda University Health’s effort to build new health care facilities by 2020. The foundation slab for the new structure began to take shape on March 25, as 85 concrete trucks delivered more than 5,400 cubic yards of concrete to the building site.
Trucks arrived at the rate of one per minute beginning at 10 p.m., ultimately delivering 540 loads in 10-1/2 hours. More than 100 workers directed the concrete into place. The March 25 project completed one-third of the foundation for the new hospital towers. Work took place on Saturday night to minimize impact on local traffic and the current hospital’s front entrance. The second phase of the foundation pour will take place in April.
Loma Linda University Health launched this hospital construction effort in response to stringent California state regulations mandating that all hospitals in the state meet new seismic safety standards by 2020, or be shut down. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, Loma Linda University Health provides care to a large, underserved population in the Inland Empire region. The organization’s two main hospitals (Loma Linda University Medical Center and Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital) also provide training to thousands of students and residents each year.
Support for the hospital construction effort is a significant component of Vision 2020 – The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow, a $360 million comprehensive philanthropic initiative, the largest in the history of Loma Linda University Health. Vision 2020 also represents the largest investment in health care and education in the Inland Empire.
The Vision 2020 campaign supports priorities in:
- Clinical Care, allowing Loma Linda University Health to continue providing excellent health care in a new adult hospital and expanded children’s hospital.
- Education, providing funding for increased scholarship endowments, faculty development, and new educational approaches.
- Research, constructing a research center where Loma Linda University Health’s best scientists can collaborate across disciplines.
- Wholeness, expanding Loma Linda University Health’s historic emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle and sharing that knowledge locally and internationally.
