Northridge Hospital Medical Center

Northridge Hospital Medical Center is a hospital in the Northridge district of Los Angeles, California, US. It is currently operated by Dignity Health.

Northridge Hospital Medical Center
Dignity Health
Map
Geography
Location18300 Roscoe Boulevard, Northridge, Los Angeles, California, United States
Organization
Care systemPrivate
TypeCommunity
Affiliated universityNone
Services
Emergency departmentLevel II trauma center
Beds425
History
Opened1955
Links
Websitehttp://www.northridgehospital.org
ListsHospitals in California

History

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The hospital was founded in 1955 by Dr. Frederick Gruneck as a 49-bed hospital with one emergency room.[1] In 1979 Northridge Hospital and Valley Hospital in Van Nuys created a joint parent company – HealthWest. HealthWest expanded to become a multi-hospital nonprofit.[2] In 1988, HealthWest merged with the Lutheran Hospital Society of Southern California, the parent company of California Hospital Medical Center, to form UniHealth.[3] The hospital was at the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, but remained open to treat over 1,000 patients in the 48 hours following the earthquake. In 1995, Valley Hospital was merged into Northridge Hospital.[4] UniHealth struggled financially in the 1990s after acquiring physician groups in difficulties, and in 1998, UniHealth sold its hospitals to Catholic Healthcare West.[5] CHW became Dignity Health in 2012.

Northridge Hospital was the site where legendary Los Angeles Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn was pronounced dead on August 5, 2002, after suffering a fall three days earlier.[6]

Services

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The emergency department at Northridge Hospital Medical Center is one of only two in the San Fernando Valley that is certified as a trauma center and the only one that is a certified PEDIATRIC trauma center.[7] The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Cancer Center is also located at the hospital.

References

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  1. ^ "Northridge Hospital Medical Center | Southern California Hospitals | Dignity Health". www.dignityhealth.org.
  2. ^ "Health Care With a Bottom Line : HealthWest Demonstrates Blurring of Nonprofit and For-Profit Hospitals". Los Angeles Times. August 26, 1986.
  3. ^ "LHS, HealthWest Merge; Savings Expected From Staff Cuts". Los Angeles Times. June 4, 1988.
  4. ^ "Hospitals in Northridge, Van Nuys Merge, Cut Costs". Los Angeles Times. June 9, 1995.
  5. ^ "2 Hospitals in Valley Set to Join Chain". Los Angeles Times. November 11, 1998.
  6. ^ "Lakers Announcer Chick Hearn Dead at 85". New York Times. August 5, 2002.
  7. ^ "Designated Trauma Centers & Dates.xls" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2007.
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34°13′15″N 118°31′54″W / 34.2207°N 118.5318°W / 34.2207; -118.5318