header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
September 19
1863 - Gen. Edward F. Beale loans money to A.A. Hudson and Oliver P. Robbins to erect toll house in Newhall Pass [story]
toll house


| Friday, Nov 22, 2013
Loading...

Thanks to a $4 million gift from Lockheed Martin, UCLA Health System’s Operation Mend now has a state-of-the-art telehealth suite, which will enable improved communication between the program’s personnel, patients and partners, and a renovated recovery area for the wounded warriors who undergo surgery at the Westwood facility.

The new Lockheed Martin UCLA TeleHealth Suite and Lockheed Martin Outpatient Recovery Suites for the Wounded Warriors of Operation Mend were officially dedicated at a ceremony on Nov. 18. The Operation Mend program provides reconstructive surgeries and other health care services to U.S. military personnel severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Lockheed Martin is honored to partner with UCLA and Operation Mend to make sure that our wounded warriors receive the best medical care possible,” said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin’s executive chairman. “The Lockheed Martin Outpatient Recovery Suites and TeleHealth Suite will strengthen the capabilities of Operation Mend for the benefit of our military heroes and their families, and we are proud to support this important mission.”

Lockheed Martin’s gift provided funding for two important areas of need. First, the advanced telehealth suite sets a new benchmark for face-to-face telecommunications, enabling better consultation, collaboration and coordinated care among UCLA, members of the military, patients and other medical institutions, and fostering innovative new research in the field of regenerative medicine for military veterans and active-duty service members.

Highlights of the telehealth suite include three 65-inch screens with the ability to deliver three high-definition video streams simultaneously and one high-definition, full-motion content sharing stream. The system allows UCLA personnel to edit, manipulate and add to shared content through the use of a high-tech touch panel for optimal collaboration with colleagues and patients.

“Operation Mend is based at UCLA, but the team often collaborates with doctors, case coordinators or members of the military located in other states,” said Dr. Christopher Crisera, Operation Mend’s co–medical director. “Additionally, while patients undergo treatment at UCLA, most live out of state and return home after surgery. The new telehealth suite will allow face-to-face communication in many types of situations, providing improved communications as well as alleviating the need for travel to meet in person. Telehealth is fast becoming the wave of the future in medicine, and this system helps us advance the delivery of care.”

Second, the gift supported the renovation of Operation Mend’s surgical waiting room and pre- and post-operative recovery areas, upgrades that will enhance the patient experience during multiple surgeries and help the program better accommodate patients’ family members. The improvements were part of Operation Mend’s broader Ambulatory Surgical Center Enhancement Project, which also included the addition of four private patient recovery suites and four new high-tech surgical suites.

Following surgery, Operation Mend patients will be transported to one of the four renovated private recovery suites, where the post-operative team will monitor blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, respiratory rate and pain. When the effects of anesthesia have diminished, visits from family members are permitted. The enhancement project also included the addition of a private consultation room to create a more accommodating ambience for patients’ families.

“On behalf of the wounded warriors we serve, we are so grateful for the new telehealth suite and renovated recovery room that were made possible by such a significant gift,” said Dr. David T. Feinberg, president of UCLA Health System, CEO of UCLA Hospital System and associate vice chancellor for health sciences. “The results of this gift have greatly enhanced the physical surroundings where the patients are cared for and allow our doctors to consult with our military partners using the best technology available. Lockheed Martin’s commitment to UCLA’s Operation Mend program and all that UCLA Health System does for military patients ensures our ability to provide critical treatment for future wounded military personnel in the years to come.”

Established in 2007, Operation Mend is a unique partnership among UCLA Health System, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. To date, nearly 100 men and women from all branches of the military have participated in the program.

The majority of Operation Mend patients have suffered severely deforming burns and wounds on their face, usually as the result of blasts from improvised explosive devices. After initial surgeries and rehabilitation at military hospitals, including Brooke Army Medical Center, the wounded soldiers have the opportunity to continue their recovery at UCLA and undergo specialized reconstructive surgical techniques with Operation Mend’s plastic and reconstructive surgery team.

While the program started with facial reconstructive surgery, it has expanded to offer treatment for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries and continues to receive consultation and support from the following UCLA clinical services: radiation oncology, dermatology, neurology, anesthesia/pain management, ophthalmology, orthopedics, maxillofacial/dentistry, medical tattooing, urology, and psychiatric and social services.

Operation Mend prides itself on the warmth and care shown to each wounded warrior. Patients always travel to UCLA with family or a friend. They are personally taken to and from the airport, stay at UCLA’s Tiverton House hotel on campus, are escorted to all medical appointments and have a nurse coordinator manage their case. There is no cost to the patient. In addition, each patient is paired with a volunteer “buddy family” that provides a social outlet during their stay in Los Angeles by having the patient over for family meals and coordinating fun activities.

For more information on Operation Mend, please visit www.operationmend.ucla.edu.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

The UCLA Health System has for more than half a century provided the best in health care and the latest in medical technology to the people of Los Angeles and the world. Comprising Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA; Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA; and the UCLA Medical Group, with its wide-reaching system of primary care and specialty care offices throughout the region, the UCLA Health System is among the most comprehensive and advanced health care systems in the world. For information about clinical programs or help in choosing a personal physician, call 800-UCLA-MD1 or visit www.uclahealth.org.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

No Comments

    Leave a Comment


    HIGHER EDUCATION LINKS
    LOCAL COLLEGE HEADLINES
    Thursday, Sep 19, 2024
    The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees appointed Carlos Guerrero to fill the board seat in Area 5, effective immediately, at its special Wednesday, Sept. 18 meeting.
    Thursday, Sep 19, 2024
    California Institute of the Arts alums Alyssa Dressman Lehner and Clara Plestis captured Emmy Awards at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
    Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024
    Public, member-supported 88.5 FM The SoCal Sound, Southern California’s leading Triple-A (adult album alternative) format radio station has announced the lineup for its inaugural “Year-End Bash” taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7.
    Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024
    The biology department at California State University, Northridge has stayed committed to promoting STEM research carried out by K-12 students and teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
    Wednesday, Sep 18, 2024
    California Institute of the Arts alum and visionary filmmaker Tim Burton (Film/Video 1979) was honored with the 2,788th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    Keep Up With Our Facebook

    Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
    Bring along a furry friend to the Santa Clarita Child & Family Center's Purple Walk Domestic Violence Awareness 5K on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 8-11 a.m. at the Center’s main facility 21545 Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.
    Oct. 5: 5K Purple Walk Dogs Against Domestic Violence
    Written and directed by Braddon Mendelson, produced by Heather Mendelson, and co-produced by Olive Branch Theatricals and Noisivision Studios, "Provenance" will take stage at the The MAIN, 24266 Main Street, Santa Clarita, CA 91321, Friday through Sunday, Sept. 27-29.
    Sept. 27-29: Braddon Mendelson to Present ‘Provenance’ at The MAIN
    The Master's women's volleyball team opened Great Southwest Athletic Conference play on the road in Prescott, Ariz. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, defeating the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles in straight sets 28-26, 25-22, 25-18.
    TMU Women’s Volleyball Opens Conference Play with Road Win
    College of the Canyons freshman Sahya Kitabatake shot a two-under-par round of 70 to tie for medalist honors while helping the Cougars place fourth at the Western State Conference tournament at Sterling Hills Golf Club in Camarillo on Monday, Sept. 16.
    Kitabatake Medals, Canyons Women Take Fourth at Sterling Hills Golf Club
    One of the city of Santa Clarita community’s most cherished parks, David March Park is set to expand, Thursday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m., 28310 North Via Joyce Drive, Santa Clarita, CA 91350 with a groundbreaking ceremony.
    Sept. 26: Community Invited to David March Park Expansion Groundbreaking
    SRD Straightening Reigns, a therapeutic organization offering equine assisted psychotherapy, has been awarded $278,870 from the California State budget to improve mental health services.
    California Awards $278,870 in Funding to SRD Straightening Reins
    The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees appointed Carlos Guerrero to fill the board seat in Area 5, effective immediately, at its special Wednesday, Sept. 18 meeting.
    COC Board of Trustees Appoints Carlos Guerrero to Area 5 Seat
    California Institute of the Arts alums Alyssa Dressman Lehner and Clara Plestis captured Emmy Awards at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
    Two Calartians Win 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards
    Valencia High School's Choir will hold a fall concert, "Broadway, Movies & Media" at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. and Friday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m. at the Saugus High School Theatre, 21900 Centurion Way, Santa Clarita, CA 91350.
    Sept. 26-27: Valencia High Choir Presents Fall Concert ‘Broadway, Movies & Media’
    As my wife, Virginia, and I stroll through our magnificent city, we admire the beautiful paseos and the expansive open spaces, but what really catches our eye, is the diverse works of art at every turn.
    Bill Miranda | Santa Clarita Arts, a Journey Through Creativity
    The California Department of Public Health is encouraging all Californians to get vaccinated this season to protect themselves and loved ones from respiratory viruses.
    CDPH: Stay Up to Date on Vaccines
    The Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library in collaboration with Santa Clarita Valley Libraries will have a silent Book Auction beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, through 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 7.
    Sept. 30: Public Libraries to Host Silent Book Auctions
    1863 - Gen. Edward F. Beale loans money to A.A. Hudson and Oliver P. Robbins to erect toll house in Newhall Pass [story]
    toll house
    The Counties of Los Angeles and San Bernardino today announced the opening of multiple joint Local Assistance Centers to assist residents impacted by the Bridge and Line Fires.
    Joint Assistance Centers Open for Residents Impacted by Bridge, Line Fires
    Valencia Gynecology Associates, owned by longtime Santa Clarita Valley OB-GYN physician Don Nishiguchi, MD, has joined the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital network. 
    Valencia Gynecology Assoc. Joins Henry Mayo Network
    JCI Santa Clarita is proud to announce the upcoming Veteran’s Resource Fair, scheduled to take place on Sept. 21 at William S. Hart Park. 
    Sept. 21: JCI Invites All Veterans to Upcoming Resource Fair
    A "friendies" field tournament  is being  hosted by the Saugus Instrumental Music program, with support from Valencia High, later this month. 
    Sept. 21: All Valley Showcase Comes to Valencia High
    Public, member-supported 88.5 FM The SoCal Sound, Southern California’s leading Triple-A (adult album alternative) format radio station has announced the lineup for its inaugural “Year-End Bash” taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7.
    Dec. 7: CSUN Owned 88.5-FM The SoCal Sound Announces “Year End Bash” Lineup featuring Ben Gibbard
    The Master's University cross-country teams continued their successful 2024 campaigns with strong finishes at the BIOLA Invitational on Friday, Sept. 13 at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton, Calif.
    TMU Women Win, Men Place Second at XC Invitational
    Sheriff’s Department Announces New Law Enforcement Gang Policy
    LASD Announces New Policy on Law Enforcement Gangs
    The biology department at California State University, Northridge has stayed committed to promoting STEM research carried out by K-12 students and teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
    CSUN Student Research Journal Celebrates 28 Years of Inspiring Scientific Imagination
    Did you know the SCVEDC has an interactive, online tool that provides themed virtual tours of the amazing features the community has to offer? 
    SCVEDC Offers Virtual Business Tours of the Santa Clarita Valley
    California Institute of the Arts alum and visionary filmmaker Tim Burton (Film/Video 1979) was honored with the 2,788th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    CalArts Alum Tim Burton Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
    1962 - Articles of incorporation filed for Golden State Memorial Hospital on Lyons Avenue [story]
    Golden State Hospital
    SCVNews.com