LAC+USC Medical Center gets new name
After 55 years, Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center will receive a new name.
At a press conference on Wednesday at the hospital's Boyle Heights campus, LA Board of Supervisors announced that the hospital would now be the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
"Today marks a new beginning for us, but it's also a continuation of our mission to provide exceptional care and building healthy communities," said Jorge Orozco, the hospital CEO, during the renaming ceremony. "Our new motto, Exceptional Care, Healthy Communities, reflects this north star and we are excited to live up to this standard every day."
The Board of Supervisors voted to change the name on Tuesday, thanks to a motion presented by Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose Fourth District includes the hospital's location, says that the change comes as the "center is now charting a new path forward. The county will rename the facility in order to "reflect the hospital's rich history and strong connection to the community accurately, while maintaining its commitment to world class and culturally world-class care."
"`Los Angeles General Medical Center is Los Angeles County's flagship hospital, and to that end, I am thrilled to see our community take ownership of its new name and brand," Solis said in a statement. "For years, I have heard from residents and stakeholders that they wanted to see a name that speaks to the campus' history, resonates with our residents, and can be easily understood in Spanish and other languages. As the campus moves into the next step of expanding its world-class care by creating supportive housing and a comprehensive continuum of care, Los Angeles General Medical Center will recognize our storied past while also launching us into a very bright future."
Solis also says that years of widespread confusion between County+USC and nearby Keck Hospital of USC are another reason for the change, according to the motion. She noted that research shows "there is no consistent name or brand" that the public or staff members use to refer to the medical center.
The motion notes that the naming process is the result of "multiple surveys, focus groups and listening with patients, staff and community members. It was important to ensure that the name be accessible across different languages."
The hospital originally opened as Art Deco General Hospital in 1933, but underwent a massive renovation in 2010 worth more than $1 billion.
LAC+USC serves more than 1 million patients on an annual basis, making it one of the nation's busiest hospitals.
"As someone who used to work in this medical center, I am so proud to join community members, nurses, staff, and physicians to unveil the new name of this extraordinary facility, Los Angeles General Medical Center," Mayor Karen Bass, formerly a physician assistant at the medical center, said in a statement. "This announcement captures the medical center's past, while emphasizing its ongoing commitment to providing exceptional care and building healthy communities. I've seen it since I was a physician assistant here, and I am so proud to see that the focus on whole-person care is the priority for every member of the L.A. General community. Today, we are all Los Angeles General."
