UCLA Health Santa Monica Medical Center: Comprehensive Care in a Community Setting
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, an integral part of UCLA Health, has been serving the healthcare needs of West Los Angeles and Santa Monica since 1926. As a cornerstone of UCLA Health's Santa Monica campus, the 281-bed, full-service medical center offers a blend of academic expertise and community accessibility. Patients benefit from personalized care, advanced technologies, and a commitment to innovation, all within a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing environment.
An Overview of UCLA Health
UCLA Health encompasses UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, UCLA Medical Plaza, and a network of primary and specialty care offices across western Los Angeles. This comprehensive system ensures patients have access to a wide range of medical services and expertise.
Comprehensive Clinical Programs and Services
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center is highly regarded for its primary and specialty care services. These include:
Women's and Children's Services
The medical center features outstanding women's and children's services. The BirthPlace at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center stands as one of Southern California's most comprehensive and modern maternity centers, delivering approximately 1,500 babies each year. A 16-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides specialized infant care. The Nethercutt Emergency Department is the only designated "Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics" in Santa Monica. Child life/child development specialists are available to provide counseling and emotional support for chronically and acutely ill children and their families during medical events. Through play, education and other therapeutic interventions, children and their families have the opportunity to develop positive coping skills, increase understanding, optimize developmental potential and express concerns.
Emergency Services
The Nethercutt Emergency Center is Santa Monica's sole emergency department approved for pediatric care, treating over 50,000 patients annually.
Read also: Radiology Services at UCLA Health Santa Monica
Family Medicine Programs
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center offers comprehensive family medicine programs, ensuring that individuals and families receive continuous and coordinated care.
Rape Treatment Center and Stuart House
The medical center is home to the internationally known Rape Treatment Center and its adjunct facility, Stuart House, which provides support for sexually abused children and adults. It also provides support for victims and a safe, anonymous way to learn how to get help after a sexual assault.
Oncology Unit
Our dedicated Oncology Unit at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center provides a comfortable place for cancer patients to receive high-tech, high-touch care. Our highly skilled physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals specialize in cancer care. Teenagers and young adults shouldn't stop enjoying their youth just because they have cancer.
UCLA Spine Center
The UCLA Spine Center provides comprehensive clinical treatment for all spinal disorders.
Respiratory Therapy
The Respiratory Therapists at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center provide world-class care to our patients which range from Neonatal to Geriatrics.
Read also: Comprehensive Neurology at UCLA
A Patient-Centered Approach
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center prioritizes patient health, safety, and comfort. The highly skilled team of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals is committed to making patients and their families feel welcome and helping them achieve maximum health and wellness. Personalized care matters, and patients receive tailored treatment plans and compassionate support throughout their experience.
A Welcoming Environment
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center provides a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing environment. Over 25% of the campus is dedicated to green spaces, including the serene Harman Garden Plaza, offering patients, visitors, and staff a tranquil oasis.
Accolades and Partnerships
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center has earned prestigious accolades, including the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence, demonstrating its commitment to providing top-quality care. Through strategic alliances like the one with the Orthopaedic Institute for Children, the medical center expands its reach and expertise.
Additional Resources and Amenities
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center provides a range of resources and amenities to support patients and visitors:
Communication and Interpretation Services
Every attempt is made to provide services in any language, either by an in-person interpreter or by telephone. Written translations of certain medical documents, correspondence and patient-education materials are available. A telecommunications device is available to help hearing-impaired patients or patients who want to communicate with a hearing-impaired relative or friend. Arrangements can be made through Interpreter Services to have a sign-language interpreter assist a hearing-impaired patient.
Read also: Comprehensive Women's Healthcare
Financial Services
Cashiering Services is located on Level A of the Merle Norman Pavilion. Cash, personal checks, traveler's checks and most major credit cards are accepted for payment of hospital charges and other services.
Ethics Center
Specialists in ethics, in conjunction with the UCLA Ethics Committee, are available to help patients, their families and the healthcare teams address ethical issues. An effort is made to assess the values and the concerns of those involved and to facilitate understanding of goals of treatment, the plan of care or decision-making when patients are unable to do so for themselves.
Private-Duty Nursing
You, your family or your doctor may request private-duty caregivers, although your UCLA nurse remains responsible for your care at all times. To request a private-duty caregiver, call our Nurse Staffing Office for a list of registries. Since most insurance plans do not cover private duty, you will be directly responsible for the cost.
Spiritual Care
An interfaith Chapel/Meditation Room, located on Level A of Merle Norman Pavilion, is available for private prayer and meditation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Religious services are available in the hospital.
Pet-Assisted Care (PAC)
PAC is a volunteer group that provides animal-assisted therapy and companionship to aid in the comfort and healing of critically ill patients and their families at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. Evidence shows that PAC visits help patients lower blood pressure, speed the healing process, improve results of physical therapy and improve mental well-being. If you are interested, please discuss the option with your physician to make sure you are medically cleared for a pet visitation.
Food Services
UCLA is proud to offer healthy, nutritionally balanced meals to patients. Dietitians work closely with your doctors and nurses to ensure that your nutritional needs are met during your stay. They can provide you and your family with information on special diets and discuss any nutritional concerns. Hotel-style room service is available and may be ordered from 7 am until 7 pm.
Technology and Communication
Every patient room is equipped with a television. For your convenience, your bedside telephone has its own direct telephone number and is available to you for outgoing calls, 24 hours a day. Convenient wireless high-speed Internet is available through MedGuest to patients and family members throughout the medical center. Patients and family need to provide their own laptops.
Visiting Hours and Policies
UCLA recognizes the vital role family members and friends play in enhancing the health and well-being of patients. Immediate family members and others designated by the family are encouraged to visit or to call for information about the patient's condition. If the patient consents, it is recommended that a family spokesperson be chosen to relay information to others who may not be able to visit. Our patients, if able, determine who visits them and when. If the patient wishes, visitors and families are welcome 24 hours a day.
Choosing UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
When patients and their families choose UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, they benefit from a patient-centered approach, acclaimed excellence, and collaborative partnerships. The medical center's long-standing tradition of community care, combined with the expertise of a world-class academic health system, ensures that patients receive the highest quality care in a patient-friendly environment.
Please note: Immediate care is not a substitute for seeing your primary care physician (PCP). Always check to see if your primary care office has an appointment available before using Immediate Care. You can schedule a visit with your primary care physician through myUCLAhealth or check their availability and schedule an appointment by calling your primary care office. There may be times when the care you need falls outside the realm of services offered at Immediate Care or our patient volume reaches capacity.
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