Westside : Children’s Hospital Is Created at UCLA

The sign outside the UCLA Medical Center’s pediatrics department soon will read “UCLA Children’s Hospital.”

The name change has occurred since the medical center in Westwood was accepted for membership in the National Assn. of Children’s Hospitals and Related Facilities. The association sets criteria for children’s hospitals nationwide and is the premier membership group for pediatric hospitals, which are not accredited.

The center’s pediatric staff decided to pursue the Children’s Hospital designation--which requires a substantial commitment to providing medical services that are designated for children--to gain credibility with the public and within UCLA Medical Center, said Dr. Edward McCabe, physician-in-chief of the new Children’s Hospital.

UCLA has applied for federal funding to build a new, but much smaller, facility on the campus to replace the earthquake-damaged medical center. As a Children’s Hospital, McCabe said, UCLA’s pediatrics services are more likely to be given adequate space in any downsized facility that is built, McCabe said.