Construction and facility improvements are continuing throughout the Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (PIH) campus.

We are constantly striving to make improvements that will allow PIH to provide you and your loved ones with the best health care possible.

One of the most noticeable of these projects is the new medical office building (MOB) being built on the east side of the campus. If you've been to PIH recently, it's hard to miss that the construction of the new MOB is well underway.

This new building will be five stories tall, and when completed in February 2009 will house many hospital departments including Lab draw, Radiology, the Spine Center, Perinatal Center, and the Heart & Lung Center, in addition to many physician offices. It will also include a new coffee location with guest seating.

As part of the construction for this new MOB, there will be changes to nearby streets that will improve access to the PIH campus. Pacific Place will be extended from Putnam Street into the hospital campus, and new traffic signals will be placed at the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Pacific Place, as well as at Washington Boulevard and Putnam Street.

Within the hospital, the expansion of the Emergency Department (ED) from 43 to 61 beds continues. Phase 1 has been completed, with phases 2, 3, and 4 now underway simultaneously. The ED expansion is on schedule for completion by the end of 2008. By adding more beds, our ED will be better able to reduce wait times for those needing emergency services.

Other recent improvements include:

• New equipment in Radiation Oncology
• New large-bore CT simulator has been installed that accommodates larger patients and enables more appropriate treatment planning for women with breast cancer
• New state-of-the-art linear accelerators are also being acquired to replace the current units.

Also within the hospital, the new  "West Road" area has been opened. Here's where you'll now find Nursing Administration, the American Cancer Society office, the Blood Donor Center, the new Chapel, and the Chaplain's offices.  West Road also includes a new surgery waiting area with access to a patio with a fountain, a new and larger Gift Shop, Jazzman's Café (coffee plus food and snacks) with both indoor and outdoor dining, and new lobby restrooms. Whether you're a patient or a visitor, these changes will make visits to the hospital more comfortable.

In the not-too-distant future, work will begin on the new Plaza Tower addition to the hospital.

This new six-story building is scheduled to be completed in 2012 and will meet the seismic retrofit/replacement statutes required under California Senate Bill 1953. The array of healthcare resources planned for the Tower include 11 new operating rooms with laminar flow and HEPA filters (which help prevent infections), 48 additional critical care beds, two floors for medical/surgical patients, and additional pediatric rooms.

All new rooms will be private and include such features as TVs/DVD players, and fold-out couches for loved ones. Safety amenities include lifts built into the ceiling to assist in moving patients and thus reducing the risk of patient discomfort and back injuries to caregivers.

These are exciting times at PIH as we build for the future. These changes will continue PIH's tradition of providing the highest quality health care to all those in our community.