Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital on June 21 celebrated the completion and opening of a connecting corridor that now links the main hospital building with the pavilion structure. The corridor, which took approximately 14 months to complete, will significantly improve the patient experience at the hospital, Henry Mayo officials said. “Until now, some of our patients have had to brave the elements outdoors during transportation between the main hospital building and the Pavilion,” said John Schleif, chief operating officer. “With the opening of this connecting corridor, patient comfort will be greatly enhanced. Patients will now be transported in a climate-controlled environment that is safer and more pleasant.” Schleif added that the corridor will enable patients housed in the Pavilion to now have easier and speedier access to the main hospital and all of its services. “Those patients are no longer going to be isolated physically,” he explained. “Instead, they will be given easier access to our full compliment of care and services provided in the main hospital building.” Dr. Chand Khanna, chief of the medical staff, said the opening of the connecting corridor has been anticipated for a long time by the medical and clinical staff of Henry Mayo. “I have no doubt in my mind that the completion of this structure and the large investment that was placed in it, will be of great help to everybody, including the doctors, staff and patients,” he said. The connecting corridor, which measures 265 feet in length, and stands about 32 feet high, was also built because of a mandate required by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, said Bob Knoblauch, Director of Facilities. “Because we have acute care units operating in both buildings, the state requires that there be an enclosed connection where patients can be transported from one building to the other,” he explained. As part of the building dedication celebration, the hospital has established a photo gallery inside the corridor, based on a connections theme. Images were submitted by local photographers and are currently on display. Representatives of Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon and State Sen. George Runner attended the event and praised the hospital for its service to the community.
Patient Care and Safety Enhanced Thanks to New Connecting Corridor at Henry Mayo
