The Antelope Valley Times

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Lancaster welcomes Kaiser Permanente medical facility

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Vice Mayor Marvin Crist said Lancaster will continue to encourage public-private partnerships.
Vice Mayor Marvin Crist said Lancaster will continue to encourage public-private partnerships.

LANCASTER  – City officials Thursday announced the construction of the largest medical office facility to date in the City of Lancaster—Kaiser Permanente’s Medical Office Building.

“Today marks a huge day in our history for a number of reasons,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “This much-needed facility will go a long way toward improving the health of the entire Antelope Valley region. In addition, we are pleased to announce that with the construction of this new facility, Kaiser Permanente joins the City of Lancaster in our goal to become the Alternative Energy Capital of the World.”

Once completed, the 136,000-square-foot facility will house 66 provider offices, three major procedure rooms, a chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy infusion center, imaging, lab draw, and an outpatient pharmacy.

The building, located at Avenue L and 5th Street West, is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in late 2014.

Kaiser Permanente COO Barbara Zelinski.
Kaiser Permanente COO Barbara Zelinski.

Quite a number of “firsts” are being achieved with the construction of this facility, as it’s the first Kaiser Permanente building to implement a sustainable energy design. In addition, it is the first Kaiser Permanente building to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. This will also be the first Kaiser Permanente building to utilize solar water heating; integrate design with energy models; and utilize reclaimed water to operate building fixtures as well as for landscape irrigation.

The building’s configuration and orientation takes full advantage of the prevailing climate and wind conditions of the Antelope Valley. The facility will also house a courtyard healing garden for patients and staff.

“We appreciate all the support from the City of Lancaster and community on this project. This is a very exciting time for Kaiser Permanente and the community. Once completed, this building will be a great compliment to our already existing offices in Lancaster and Palmdale,” said Kaiser Permanente Antelope Valley Chief Administrative Officer Linda J. Lawson, RN, MSN.

“With more than half a million square feet of commercial and industrial space currently under construction, including the Kaiser Permanente, City of Hope, Marriott and Morton Manufacturing projects, we are seeing the fruits of our ongoing business-friendly efforts,” concluded Vice Mayor Crist. “We will continue to encourage public-private partnerships, cut through bureaucratic ‘red tape,’ and proactively pave the way for future growth in our City.”

(Information via press release from the city of Lancaster.)

Filed Under: Health, Lancaster

46 comments for "Lancaster welcomes Kaiser Permanente medical facility"

  1. Can I simply just say what a comfort to find an individual who truly knows what they are discussing on the web.
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  2. Resident Cynic,
    Accept my apologies on typo error. You got the message and intent of the post. Maybe that is why your tag is cynic? Enough said, in or out?
    Local knowledge rules over these so called elected officials, or are you blind in one eye?
    Keep the faith cynic, Kaiser is a good thing for the Valley it provides a necessity of life-its called Healthcare, just like you need food, gas, and lodging, so is the need for Healthcare. With all of the newies in town, it was just a matter of time that KP put it up. Builder McCarthy is one of the best GC’s and I have seen the design of the new campus…it will be gorgeous. The only shortcoming is this…KP was all in to build a Hospital on this location, however it is not going to happen. For all you AV Hospital fans, and Palmdale Regional that is where you need to go for hospitalization. Regarding KP urgent care, it is closing eventually and employees have been laid off, which is the negative of building. KP urgent care DR.S are not Kaiser Permanente doctors, as those DR’S do not wish to operate the urgent care-so there is the deficieny in KP system, doctors get to choose if they just wish to see patients as MD or specialist.
    I have seen way to many mis-diagnosed cases and war stories, by doctors in general. Remember they are doctors, not the final word, but a good source of knowledge and experience with care. The level of care must expand in the AV as the alternatives are still running short.
    So there you go Cynic, figure out how to chop this up and spin it the way you want…these are the facts.
    Peace to all.

  3. Kaiser is closing it’s 24 hour urgent care in Lancaster? Ut oh. Not a good sign. Will that new hospital ever get built?

  4. Both my husband and I had heart surgery last year. I had to have a defibrilatar implanted and my husband had a valve replacement. Between the two of us we spent almost a month in the hospital. While we were hospitalized, we were very well taken care of. At any given time, the doctor who would come in to see us in the hospital was not the only doctor but a group of four or more. All departments – cardiology, respiratory, etc. The nursing staff were impeccable and we wanted for very little. The housekeeping staff came through sometimes twice a day to clean our rooms, and the food services were pretty good for hospital food. Even once we started feeling well enough to come home, the doctors kept us additional days just in case. They were in no hurry to send us home without knowing we could care for ourselves.
    Now, where do you think all this happened ??? AV Hospital? NO… Palmdale Regional ?? NO….. KAISER Sunset Hospital in Hollywood!!! Having been Blue Cross patients for 20+ years, yes we were very leary of Kaiser, but our stays at Sunset and our follow-up care up here has most definitely changed our mindset. In fact, Kaiser will even call us to remind us of our appointments. They truly care that we remain in good health! We are both glad to see Kaiser expanding (with or without the city help).

    • Great post, I am so glad to hear that your experience with Kaiser was very positive. As a Kaiser spouse, and father of a son who works at that Regional center in Hollywood, this is why such a facility exists. In regards to forthcoming Lancaster campus, it brings a wealth of opportunity to the community in servicing their immediate healthcare needs. AV Hospital has a horrible reputation(no bias its a fact) and the Valley deserves better. It took a long time for KP to make this commitment, however once built, it will be outstanding.

      • Since when did AV Hospital have a bad reputation?

        The hospital with the bad reputation was Lancaster Community, which moved to Palmdale, as Palmdale Regional!

    • Couldnt agree more. I had my son at Kaiser in Panorama City. The facility is state of the art, the doctors and nurses were amazing, as well as the rest of the staff. I didnt want to have him at AV and risk them being overcrowded and have to room with a crack head!

  5. For those who are bad mouthing about KAISER, let me tell you something…

    I was born in a Kaiser Hospital and always had Kaiser for my insurance… They have been wounderful to me and to my family (parents, sister and her family)… My friends who had other insurance used to talk about how wounderful there insurance they had, or until there company made them either pay for Bluecross or other insurance that they provided. When they made the switch over to Kaiser then they stated to find out what wounderful service they provide and it’s all under one roof…

    For me my doctor presonally calls me and checks up on me from time to time and I will run into her at the stores from time to time too. I have never seen that done with other doctors… She also schudule appt for me in advance and Lab works too… If I have a problem or a question I can email her and she usually reply back that same day or her nurse will call me…

    So how many of you out there can say that about your medical service…

    • The offence is a picture of Marvin the RAT promoting a bigger RAT and bagman F. Visco he was given a giant windfall by the city to develop his own property co-owned with J. Gilly. These RATS keep sucking the city dry.

      • Now that Marvie let the world know that the man behind the curtain in Ozcaster is Frankie, maybe someone will take a look at all the shady deals that the Axis of Corruption Visco-Gilly-Parris have been part of for decades.

  7. I am looking forward to the day when we have a Veterans in-patient hospital in the AV. It doesn’t have to be huge like the one in West Los Angeles or the new one in Las Vegas, but it could provide some services for the vets in the AV. For larger issues, you would still have to go to West Los Angeles or Las Vegas. I can dream, can’t I?

      • The Las Vegas VA Hospital will be accessible by the bullet train when it is completed. Also, the hospital is brand new and state of the art. Of course, you can always drive to West Los Angeles.

  8. Having had experience with both Antelope Valley Hospital and Palmdale Regional Medical Center, I can say that both facilities offer outstanding health care. To say that Palmdale Regional Medical Center is a “wannabe” hospital is unmerited and unfair to the doctors, nurses, staff and patients who have received care and treatment there. PRMC is a UHS hospital based out of Pennsylvania, not Lancaster. Their decision to build a facility in Palmdale met a need that had been in existence for a long time. A city of 150,000 without a hospital was definitely underserved and PRMC helped meet that need. AV residents how have two outstanding hospitals to choose from, and with Kaiser coming soon, there will be a third.

    As for investment in Palmdale, there are plenty of businesses, large and small who have invested in Palmdale. Lockheed, NASA, Boeing, Northrup, Delta Scientific, Patton Steel, US Pole, Vision Engineering, Fed Ex, Tarps Plus, Trader Joe’s, Yard House, Macy’s, Forest City, Best Buy, Lowes, Barnes & Noble, Sports Chalet, etc. are just a few. There are several large projects on the burner and just about ready to announce. These will be great projects not only for Palmdale, but the entire AV, as they will bring much coveted jobs and income to our area. Stay tuned.

    • A building boom in the area surrounding the new Palmdale regional hospital pretty much shows what the medical community thinks about the quality of the new hospital.

      From open land to lots of new buildings dedicated to Dr and specialists offices over the past three years says something about a vote of confidence in Palmdale and Palmdale Regional hospital.

  9. FYI
    Unfortunately you don’t have to have “insurance” to go to Kaiser. Kaiser does contract with the state to provide care to Medi-Cal patients so those folks with “insurance” are herded in with those that don’t. BUT those with Kasier won’t be able to go to the BRAND NEW L.A. County Clinic on Ave. I when it opens in 2014. . .that’s strictly for low income/no income people. So actually there’s probably no point to being employed & choosing Kaiser for your health care – you could probably just have the state pay for you.

    • Kaiser will only take MediCal patients who were previously Kaiser patients and had to drop the coverage due to job loss or other circumstances. Its not like any old MediCal patient can walk into Kaiser and sign up.

      • Perhaps, but as a Kaiser member I still won’t have the opportunity to “test drive” the new County facility to see which I like better in the event I have to choose which taxpayer funded health care plan I want.

        • Yes you do, change your insurance options to county and then you can have it all. You are lucky and fortunate to have Kaiser, why look at something that you are not familiar with, Kaiser is doctor owned, they have a vested interest, look at the leaps Kaiser has made in the last decade alone…yes they are doctors, and doctors do mis diagnose, but you can always find a con in everything that is pro…

          • I’m lucky & fortunate??? No,it has nothing to do with luck. . I happen to WORK for a living & healthcare is a “benefit” my employer provides. I have watched my premiums continue to rise in part due to off set the increasing costs for state funded health care. I have always been a taxpayer NEVER a tax taker (since age 18). Public education is FREE through the 12th grade with multiple financial assistance programs available for vocational schools or college (no I didn’t take advantage of any of them). Therefore it is difficult to understand why so many people are content to merely have the government (taxpayers) provide everything for them. But why not, afterall it is FREE. :(

  10. When will Palmdale ever get their own good medical care. The only thing we have is the “Palmdale Regional Medical Center” aka wannabe hospital, that came from Lancaster anyways. Why doesn’t anyone every invest in Palmdale?

  11. “Today marks a huge day in our history for a number of reasons,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris.

    While reading that I heard ol’ Rex saying ‘huge’ in the same way Donald Trump is always saying “HUUUGE!”

    I never before noticed how similar those 2 ‘huge’ egos are.

    • Well not exactly….won’t argue this one because you have obviously never been a Kaiser patient

    • If you build it, they will come…This valley offers so many services, no wonder there are so many people on assistance here. Everything is free or close to it for them.

    • How are Kaiser patients low/no income? They have to have insurance to go there. Kaiser doesn’t have a hospital with an ER in the AV as of yet. The legal requirement to treat the uninsured and indigent only applies to ERs, not regular doctor’s offices or urgent care facilities.

      • My husband and I are barely in our late 20s/early 30s, we make well into 6 figures and we both have Kaiser. Low income/ no incom? Really? Get off your high horse.

    • Guess you don’t have to commute for medical? Oh, you must cruise over to 60th W….can take the bus huh?

      • Not sure what’s out on 60th W…. prison?
        I go to Burbank if I need to see a Doctor. I’m pretty healthy and haven’t had to go except for a physical every year or so.

  14. Thank you Kaiser for finally meeting the demand in all of AV…long overdue. Tired of commuting for medical!

    • This city council should GET NO PRAISE, ABSOULETY NOT!! Look at their record for listening to the people, what you realize now that they never listen, they listen to their own agenda ONLY. They got some money on the inside, supported or were directed by Vizo, and its the same deal in developing Lancaster. Rex, your a disgrace to this community, your master plan is that you are the only one putting up construction as an individual, you will rent out to your friends on Section 8, run for state senator next after your extended term expires(cant wait, tired of your argonacy) then move to the Cayman for tax reasons. Plain bad communicator, bad mayor, and Walmart lover. Get out REX, STOP taking credit with your picture plastered everywhere, let alone your mouth with your foot in side of it at all times, how many more lawsuits for this city because of you, and hows the eye in the sky working, since you spent our tax dollars, and never listen to your constituents. Time for you to answer you email that was sent to you and council memebers over two months ago…oh I forgot your going to chastise those that dont share your opinion with no respect, SAME old KING…GET OUT