McCarthy Building Companies Completes Construction of Emergency Room Department and Acute Care Unit Expansion at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

SYLMAR/NEWPORT BEACH, CA (May 9, 2011) – McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (www.mccarthy.com), one of Southern California’s preeminent healthcare builders, has recently completed construction of a replacement and expansion of emergency services and acute care units at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center (top left photo) in Sylmar, Calif. 

The hospital celebrated the opening of the new $53 million facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony in February 2011.

 “With 51 beds, we now have the second largest Emergency Department in the Department of Health Services,” said Carolyn Rhee, Olive View - UCLA Medical Center CEO during the ceremony as she congratulated the project team for finishing 9 months ahead of schedule and $1 million under budget.  “This was a milestone in Olive View’s history, considering that the Emergency Department has been too small for 24 years.” 

Los Angeles County Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Zev Yaroslavsky proudly cut the big red ribbon at the entrance to the new facility during the opening ceremony. John Schunhoff, Chief Deputy of the Department of Health Services attended the event along with hospital administration, nurses, physicians and project team members.

 Over the last couple of years, hospital officials said they have seen an increase in patient ER visits of more than 20 percent and they expect at least an additional 8,000 to 10,000 more people to be seen annually now that a larger and more advanced emergency department is built. Expanded from 15,000 to 31,000 square feet, the emergency department and acute care unit boasts new equipment and a more efficient layout which will improve treatment and shorten patient wait times.

McCarthy Building Companies Inc. served as general contractor for the project, which entailed construction of a single-story facility on the north side of the existing ER.

The project was delivered under a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) agreement, one of the first such contracts for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Utilizing this delivery method, the facility was completed almost $1 million under budget and nine months ahead of the original schedule even with scope added during the project.

 Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is located in the northern San Fernando Valley.  The main facility includes 377 beds and provides outpatient, surgical, obstetric/gynecologic, and psychiatric services.  The hospital is host to a number of residency programs and is affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine.

 Contact:

 Laura Mickelson (LM Communications), (949) 453-0851

Susan Garritano (McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.), (314) 968-3300