photo by Edwin Folven

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on June 23 for the new Marion and John E. Anderson Pavilion at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). Richard D. Cordova (left), president and CEO of CHLA; was joined at the ceremony by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Marion Anderson, co-chair of the CHLA Board of Trustees; television personality Mary Hart, member of the CHLA Board of Trustees and co-chair of the New Hospital Campaign; and Jennifer Page, mother of six-year-old CHLA heart patient, Max Page, pictured at front left with his brother, Ells.

The new $636 million, 460,000-square-foot hospital building includes a cardiothoracic intensive care unit and pediatric intensive care unit; the Helen and Bill Close Family Resource Center; the Jane Vruwink Palmer Healing and Play Garden; and the HBO Café, a Hollywood-themed dining space with the outdoor Ralph M. Parsons Dining Terrace. The building has 317 beds, 85 percent of which are in private rooms.

The building is located at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Lyman Avenue and is named after Marion and John E. Anderson in honor of their $50 million gift to the project. The hospital staff is scheduled to move more than 200 patients into the new building on Sunday, July 17. For information, visit www.chla.org.