Los Angeles Hospital Begins 110-Day Countdown to Opening of New $636 Million Facility

LOS ANGELES — Children’s Hospital Los Angeles became the city’s first hospital for children when it opened the doors to a two-story home equipped with four beds and one volunteer doctor 110 years ago.

Exactly 110 days from today, Children’s Hospital will open the doors to the nation’s most technologically-advanced pediatric hospital, a $636 million, 317-bed, state-of-the-art hospital designed to change the face of care for children and adolescents in Southern California and beyond.

In honor of both historic milestones, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will celebrate over the next 110 days with several campaigns and events designed to excite, educate and engage the community.

“This day marks a unique crossroads of past, present and future for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles,” said Richard Cordova, CEO, FACHE, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We’ve come so far over the past 110 years and have had a profound impact on pediatric medicine, allowing us to be one of today’s top-ranked institutions. Now we’ve only got a short 110 days to go until we enter our next chapter and open a building that will set the standard of care for children and families.”

Kicking off today on Twitter is #110Tweets, a fun fact about Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (@ChildrensLA) at 8am PT every day until the opening of the new hospital. Tweets will include interesting details of the hospital’s 110-year history, sneak peeks into the new hospital building, uplifting patient stories, a look at the staff’s silly side, stats, photos, videos, and more. The hospital will also launch in early April an interactive online game at www.chla.org featuring several prominent L.A. sports figures who will help get kids and the community acquainted with the new hospital building.

In addition to online activities, families and supporters can get involved in several localized events, including:

Saturday, April 30: 5k “Walk for Kids” and “Turn on the Lights” event

Thousands of hospital staff, patients, families and members of the Los Angeles community and celebrities will “Walk for Kids,” a 5k walk through Griffith Park and the neighborhood of Los Feliz to raise funds to help complete and open the new hospital building. Supermodel and TV host Heidi Klum will serve as the walk’s Honorary Ambassador while Max Page, who plays Darth Vader in the infamous Volkswagen commercial, will lead the march in full Darth Vader costume. Max is a Children’s Hospital Los Angeles heart patient.

The walk will end in front of the hospital’s new entrance on Sunset Boulevard, which will be closed down for a private street party and ceremony to “Turn on the Lights” in the new building. For more information, visit www.chla.org/walk or contact Brian Greene at 323.361.4823 or bgreene@chla.usc.edu.

Saturday, May 7: “Dream for Kids” Gala

The completion of the new hospital building closes a successful 10-year “Living Proof” campaign that helped fund the construction. 1,500 guests, including L.A.’s top philanthropists, business leaders, celebrities, representatives of local, regional and national government and other special guests will celebrate the opening of the new hospital. Children’s Hospital will honor Board of Trustees Co-Chair Marion Anderson, who will receive the “Living Proof Visionary” Award, and New Hospital Building Campaign Co-Chairs Chris Albrecht and Trustee Mary Hart from “Entertainment Tonight,” who will receive the “Building the Dream” Award.

Limited seating for this special evening starts at $1,000 per person. To purchase a table or individual tickets, please contact the Special Events Department at (323) 361-5972. For more details, contact Lyndsay LaGree at 323.361.4121 or llagree@chla.usc.edu.

Wednesday, May 17: Media Appreciation Day

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will say “thank you” to local press with an all-day open house and “sneak peek” tour in the new hospital building. For more details, contact Marlen Bugarin at 323.361.5567 or mbugarin@chla.usc.edu.

Thursday, June 23: New Hospital Building Dedication and Ribbon-Cutting

Civic leaders, donors, trustees, volunteers, public officials and other dignitaries will gather to honor Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for its 110 years of service to the community. Civic leaders will cut the ribbon on the new hospital building and mark the beginning of a new era of health care services for children in the region. Guided tours for journalists after the ceremony will also be provided. RSVPs in advance are required. For more details, contact Brian Greene at 323.361.4823 or bgreene@chla.usc.edu.

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Founded in 1901, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals and is acknowledged worldwide for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. The Saban Research Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is among the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, with 88 investigators at work on 171 laboratory studies, clinical trials and community-based research and health services. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a premier teaching hospital and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.

For more information, visit www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: www.WeAreCHLA.org.