More than 100 locals gathered last Thursday evening on the rooftop of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital for pub fare and mixologist-inspired frozen cocktails. The objective of the evening, which was hosted by Keck Medicine of USC, was to bring together members of the community for a bit of fun, but also to learn more about the advances that have occurred at the hospital since becoming part of USC’s Health System.
La Cañada Flintridge resident and chief strategy officer for Keck Medicine of USC, Shawn Sheffield, shared that when she was touring LCF with her real estate agent seven years ago, the hospital was not touted as a high-point among community resources. “As a matter of fact,” shared Sheffield, “she encouraged me to avoid coming here.” Little did her agent know that one of Sheffield’s first tasks in her new position would be to acquire Verdugo Hills Hospital as part of Keck Medicine of USC and help the struggling hospital remain a health care resource for the community.
Hospital CEO Keith Hobbs shared with the assembled crowd that six years, and more than $35 million in investments later, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital has been transformed. “We have the shortest wait time of any local emergency room, are a Center for Excellence in hip and knee replacement, and because we’re part of the Keck family, our local patients have direct and swift access to the specialized care provided at Keck Medical Center of USC, which is ranked No. 16 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2019-20 national Best Hospitals Honor Roll.”
