Employee Enthusiasm Smoothed Move

"Orchestrating and implementing the move into Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was one of the most challenging of the hundreds of hospital moves taken on by Health Care Relocations (HCR), and the professionalism and cooperation of UCLA Health System employees made it one of our most memorable and positive," says Mike Shebib, HCR senior project manager.

"Sometimes we're the final agents of change, and we often meet employee resistance as far as a move goes," explains Mike. "That didn't hold true at UCLA. People were positive, they were eager to move and there was buy-in from all levels."

In particular, Mike points out that the nursing staff, always thinking first of patient safety, worked very hard to find solutions to the logistical problems the movers faced in transporting such a large number of acutely ill patients. Eimee Miura, director of purchasing, and her team were exemplary in their roles and will be remembered as providing the best experience with a procurement team that HCR has encountered. Ellen Wilson, director of therapy services, was extraordinarily dedicated to making sure that the lift and transportation teams were thoroughly trained.

"This was a great experience for us, and we'll always look upon the project with fondness," says Mike.

An Excellent Outcome for
Move Day Operations

"I felt as if I was walking into a mall during the Christmas season," recalls James Atkinson, MD, professor of surgery and executive director of transition to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, when describing his thoughts upon arriving for Patient Move Day on June 29.

Dr. Atkinson explains, "I had practically lived in this building for the past three years—walking every bit of it day after day—and even though it was shiny and beautiful as we completed and licensed the building, it wasn't until the day of the move that the patients and all the occupants of the building brought it to life. To see it so active and full of life made it a very rewarding day."

Dr. Atkinson trained in general surgery at UCLA and then returned here in 1995 with a full-time academic appointment. He also began volunteering his time to the new hospital's strategic and replacement hospital planning at an early stage. About five years ago, Dr. Atkinson was asked to assume greater responsibility for the building project in overseeing the equipment planning, fit-up and move planning.

While acknowledging that helping to manage a major building project is a long way from his training in pediatric surgery, Dr. Atkinson sees things that the two have in common. "A surgical mentality calls for you to begin by assessing the situation. You listen to the patient, gather all available information and then decide what needs to be done. I think these strategies transferred very well to the management skills needed to complete this project."

Similarities between his roles in the building project and as a pediatric surgeon also struck Dr. Atkinson on a personal level. "When a parent gives you their child for surgical care, to me it's a huge feeling of responsibility, and I think this was very similar.The outcome of this project was extremely important to the university, to the future of the health sciences, and to the people of this state. I had the same feeling of responsibility to deliver a fine institution for patient care," he says.

Dr. Atkinson attributes the project's success to the entire UCLA Health System, from its leadership through every level of staff. "I think it speaks to the resiliency and high quality of our staff and physicians that we were able to absorb this tremendous task, moving more than 300 patients while continuing to provide full medical care." he says. "We did operations on both sides of the street, delivered babies in the middle of the move, closed one emergency room and opened another seamlessly. It was remarkable how our people were able to make all that happen."