This month Loma Linda University Medical Center – Murrieta will celebrate its third birthday! The 106 bed acute care hospital opened on April 15, 2011 and began the multiples processes to receive state and federal accreditation. Since that time the hospital has seen tremendous growth, not only in volume and ER visits, but in new services and healthcare options for the community. Here’s an update on what’s new and what’s coming soon!
First & Only Interventional Heart Care – Even if you have heard it before, you can never hear it too many times! Listen closely to your heart, pay attention to your symptoms and don’t wait to get help. The symptoms of a heart attack can be confusing and different for each person. Should you or someone you know experience chest pain, shortness of breath, grey skin tone, nausea, extreme fatigue, arm pain, jaw pain or other such symptoms, immediate professional care is essential. Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta is the first and only provider of interventional cardiac care, which keeps you closer to home and improves outcomes. We provide immediate care for emergencies and scheduled preventative care, such as an angioplasty or the placement of a stent. These procedures require special licensing, which we have achieved. In February LLUMC-Murrieta provided the first implants of a new heart rhythm monitoring device from Medtronic. Dr. Ronald Lo and Dr. Steve Jin implanted the new devices that track heart rhythm abnormalities and help physicians and their patients actively manage heart arrhythmias. If you or a loved one needs to see a cardiologist with LLUMC-Murrieta please use our website www.llumemurrieta.org or call 800-867-7011 for assistance.
Enhanced Maternity Services -Moms who deliver their babies at LLUMC-Murrieta are giving us high ratings for their experience. Our patient satisfaction scores are the highest in our region. Our program is centered on a holistic natural approach that honors the first Sacred Hour after delivery. Babies are place skin to skin with their mom’s so and the new family is given 60 full minutes of quiet bonding time. When newborn infants and their parents get this bonding time, they have improved health, better breastfeeding results and overall more successful relationships with their parents. We are dedicated to preserving this time for our families even in the event of a C-section. R.N.’s, NICU Nurses and our LLU neonatologists are close by to help the family should they need it. Other features that help our families include: all private rooms; 24/7 visiting policy; overnight stays for designated family member; celebration meal for mom and dad; rooming in with baby and lactation support. If you or a loved one wants to learn more about our program call 800-867-7011.
Robotic & Single Site Surgery – LLUMC-Murrieta received our DaVinci Robot on December 17 and since then launched a new service line that revolves around key surgeries that can be done robotically and/or with a single incision site (often called “scarless” because it’s very hard to see a scar). The robot extends the skilled hands of our surgeons so they can access key areas with smaller incisions, less risk of infection, less pain and faster healing. Right now LLUMC-Murrieta is focused on providing a variety of general surgeries that can be done robotically including hernias and gallbladders. In March Dr. Tommy Dinh, general & robotic surgeon performed the first colon resection surgery with the robot. This procedure is done primarily for patients with cancer or diverticulitis. The robot ensures a faster procedure, less hospitalization, less scaring and improved outcomes for the patient. The robotic surgery program will grow throughout the years with new surgical offerings. To learn more about this surgical option, please call 800-867-7011.
3-D Mammography – LLUMC-Murrieta will become the first and only provider of 3-D mammography in this region. We plan to launch the new program in late April or early May. 3-D mammography is an amazing contrast with traditional mammography images. 3-D Mammography helps physicians and patients diagnose breast cancer at a much earlier stage and improving outcomes. We are excited to offer this to our community and will be announcing it with a special open house and other marketing announcements on our website, our Facebook page and through the new media.