A West Hills hospital is being acquired by UCLA Health following the approval from the UC Board of Regents, according to a UCLA spokesperson.
Phil Hampton, a spokesman for UCLA Health, said in a statement, that the University of California Board of Regents has authorized a future acquisition of the West Hills Hospital and Medical Center in the western neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley.
“This effort will help UCLA Health to immediately address the significant inpatient, emergency department and operating room capacity constraints in our health system,” he wrote. “It also helps us to fulfill our commitment to enhance access to care across the region.”
The parties have not disclosed the terms of the agreement, which is subject to closing conditions and regulatory approvals, according to the UCLA Health spokesperson.
The 260-bed facility recently underwent an $80-million expansion that added a new emergency department, intensive care unit, cardiac catheterization laboratory, and the Grossman Burn Center. The hospital is home to Advanced Stroke and Chest Pain centers. The hospital employs the staff of 900 employees and a medical staff of 450 people, according to its website.
In 2014, the hospital added a helicopter pad at its ER to airlift critically injured patients for emergency treatment.
“The agreement between UCLA Health and HCA Healthcare for the proposed acquisition of West Hills Hospital and Medical Center is a testament to the excellence of the hospital and our clinical care teams’ ongoing dedication and commitment to our patients,” wrote Carmella Gutierrez, a spokeswoman for HCA Healthcare Far West Division, in a statement.
She added that the acquisition will provide “our patients with an enhanced care network and seamless access to specialty services across Southern California. It also promises to strengthen the region’s capabilities as a destination for medical innovation, allowing UCLA Health to keep great health care local and increasing access to meet the needs of the community.”
UCLA Health employs about 34,500 people and has more than 270 clinics in Southern California in addition to four medical centers, including L.A.-based Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center.