Providence St. Joseph Health and Cedars-Sinai have agreed to create a joint venture to own and operate the Providence Tarzana Medical Center. The hospital’s new name will be Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. Providence will retain controlling interest in the center. Providence employees will not be affected by the joint venture, and the center will retain its Catholic identity. “The management structures remain the same. … The existing contracts, including the union contracts, remain the same,” Dale Surowitz, who will continue to be chief executive at the center, told the Business Journal. “I think potentially they’ll take on some additional coordination issues. We’ll work very closely with Cedars and the idea is to provide some additional programs, new services, offer things that the Valley has not seen previously.” Surowitz was not able to name specific services as of yet, since he is still working with medical staff with both organizations to solidify what exactly will be added or changed. A release from Cedars mentioned an expansion to primary and specialty care services, and enhancing heart, cancer and women’s services at the Tarzana location. The two Southern California organizations will continue buildout and redevelopment of the Tarzana campus, including a new patient-care tower with private rooms, an expanded emergency department, new diagnostic and treatment services, and enhanced outpatient and ambulatory services already under development. The project has a budget of $542 million. “Cedars is going to be contributing proportionately to the project, to their ownership,” added Surowitz. When complete in 2022, the new hospital will be a destination medical center for the area. “Our joint vision is driven by a dedication to provide residents of the San Fernando Valley with convenient access to an expert community of physicians who deliver the highest quality clinical care,” Thomas Priselac, Cedars-Sinai chief executive, said in a statement. “We’re delighted that this partnership will have such a meaningful impact on the health of our region.” Cholesterol 911 Amgen Inc., with the help of comedian and television host Jay Leno, has launched Cholesterol 911, a national initiative to reduce cardiovascular disease. The initiative looks to motivate patients and caregivers to “get in the driver’s seat” when it comes to cholesterol management, according to a press release from the Thousand Oaks biotech. A series of videos set in Leno’s famous garage in Burbank link the comedian’s humor and love of cars to the message. “I hope this effort encourages people to see the emergency in high cholesterol and talk to their doctor to explore what more they can do to lower their cholesterol and risk of having another heart attack or stroke,” said Leno in a statement. Geriatric Health Research Reseda’s Los Angeles Jewish Home has opened a new research facility for geriatric health issues. The Brandman Research Institute, named after the home’s supporter Joyce Brandman and her late husband, Saul, will comprise an interdisciplinary team of health care professionals dedicated to developing new standards and models of care for older adults. Dr. Noah Marco, chief medical officer at the Jewish Home, will serve as executive director for the institute. Research projects and treatments will be sought to improve and enhance medical, social, psychiatric and psychological services for seniors. Its first study will focus on effective models for post-acute care. The Brandman Research Institute is located in the Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center at 7150 Tampa Ave. in Reseda. New COO Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center has named Laura Gallardo as its new chief operating officer. Gallardo has the same title for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals in the East San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. The area serves more than 268,600 Kaiser members, with 228 physicians and 3,929 employees on staff. She will oversee day-to-day operations at the Panorama City campus, which has a hospital and six medical offices, and outlying medical offices in Santa Clarita, Canyon Country, North Hollywood, Mission Hills and Sylmar. With 19 years of experience at Kaiser, Gallardo previously served as assistant administrator for operations support services. Staff Reporter Amy Stulick can be reached at [email protected] or at (818) 316-3121.
