A beacon of health

After more than three years of construction, Glendale Adventist Medical Center's West Tower was unveiled to the public during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday.

Glendale Adventist President Morre Dean and Mayor Ara Najarian cut a red ribbon with an oversized pair of scissors as dozens of visitors cheered and applauded the grand opening of the new building.

"This is a showcase for us to promote healing and wellness," Dean said during the ceremony. "We think we have the opportunity to become a beacon of light."

The event also featured tours of the 190,000-squarefoot facility, which includes a 12-bed surgical intensive care unit, an emergency department, operating rooms, neurological and cardiac interventional step-down units, Internet access in every patient room and surgical suites.

"We wanted to have a community event to share the amenities," Dean said.

The West Tower was constructed to provide better access to and from the hospital's buildings, Dean said.

The new tower will reflect the growth in medical services, he said, adding that patients will be treated for strokes and heart-related conditions in the tower's new state-of-the-art Stroke Center and cardiac catheterization labs.

The building also has a family care center for families who wish to stay overnight at the surgical intensive care unit to be with their loved ones, he added.

On Sunday, visitors toured the building and took advantage of the health screenings offered on the rooftop of the tower's parking structure.

Glendale resident Gina Mastro sat in the shade and waited for her turn to take glucose and cholesterol tests.

"It's been about 25 years that my family been coming here," Mastro said of Glendale Adventist. "It's a very nice place."

The hospital's campus brought back memories for George and Sarah Marcarian, who met each other at Glendale Adventist before they were married.

The couple came to show their support of the new building with their daughter, Amy.

"I'm anxious to see it," George Marcarian said. "From what I've heard, the patient rooms are beautiful."

The West Tower cost about $108 million to complete, said Warren Tetz, senior vice president.

It is the first phase of three construction phases at Glendale Adventist which is scheduled for completion in 10 years, he said.

For Glendale native Dorothy Kellstrom-Reedy, the new tower is part of a series of renovations at Glendale Adventist that she's been a part of.

Kellstrom-Reedy was born at Glendale Sanitarium in 1932 before it became Glendale Adventist Medical Center.

"It was very different then," Kellstrom-Reedy said of the sanitarium. "Each time they've had a transition, it encompasses more and more state-of-the-art technology."

Kellstrom-Reedy's daughter Jeannette, was treated for a rattlesnake bite at Glendale Adventist in 1984.

"Her life was saved by doctors and nurses who were with her 24/7," she said. "Just the compassion of the people can't be matched."