OneWest Foundation Grant Helps Launch Project to Help Low-Income Patients Obtain Medical Care Through UCLA, Venice Family Clinic. - Biotech Week

Thanks to a generous three-year, $300,000 grant from the OneWest Foundation - matched by funds from the UCLA Health System - qualified Venice Family Clinic patients who need hospitalization or specialized medical care may now be helped by a pilot project launched by the foundation, the clinic and the UCLA Health System (see also OneWest Foundation).

'Currently, there is a fragmented system in place to ensure access to specialty and inpatient care for low-income patients seen at Venice Family Clinic,' said Dr. David Feinberg, CEO of the UCLA Hospital System and associate vice chancellor. 'As a result, complex medical conditions are often only partially diagnosed, and interventional care is frequently delayed until it becomes critical or life-threatening. Patients end up in the Los Angeles County health system, where medical resources and the expertise to deal with the underlying causes are in very limited supply, or they are treated in the emergency room, which is the most expensive form of health care.

'This pilot project's goal is to provide integrated primary care, specialty care and tertiary care at the right time and in the right medical setting - and to make a true difference in people's lives.'

The Pasadena, Calif.-based OneWest Foundation is committed to investing in organizations that help build stronger communities. This grant will support low- to moderate-income patients who lack private insurance and do not qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare coverage through the pilot project by making a gift pledge through The UCLA Foundation.

'It gives me great satisfaction to know that OneWest is playing a vital role in advancing the UCLA Health Sciences' mission of research, education, patient care and public service, as well as the Venice Family Clinic's commitment to patient care,' said Steven T. Mnuchin, chairman of the OneWest Foundation. 'We are proud to help make a difference in the lives of those in our community.'

The pilot project will help those patients seen at Venice Family Clinic's new Colen Family Health Center in Mar Vista who do not have private insurance or qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare coverage, and who require specialty care and hospitalization, to secure ongoing treatment at the UCLA Health System. The Colen Family Health Center will open in March 2010 and will serve 4,000 people annually. Roughly 74 percent of the Colen Family Health Center's patients are expected to meet the criteria for this initiative.

'The health systems that work best are those that are integrated and located in the community where patients live,' said Liz Forer, CEO of Venice Family Clinic. 'This collaboration between Venice Family Clinic and the UCLA Health System will expand the options available to our patients, reduce health care treatment costs and improve health outcomes.'

The joint venture is intended to establish the value and efficacy of providing coordinated inpatient and outpatient care to low-income patients. UCLA and Venice Family Clinic will assess the impact of the program annually. At the conclusion of the initial three-year period, UCLA and the clinic will explore the viability of pursuing a more permanent solution. UCLA Health System For more than half a century, the UCLA Health System has 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, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, 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 systems in the world. For more information, visit www.uclahealth.org. Venice Family Clinic The mission of Venice Family Clinic is to provide free, quality health care to people in need. Launched in 1970 by volunteer physicians Dr. Philip Rossman, founder, and Dr. Mayer B. Davidson, co-founder, the clinic first operated at night in space borrowed from a small storefront dental office. Today, it is the largest free clinic in the country, providing comprehensive primary health care and a range of specialty care and supportive services to nearly 24,500 low-income, uninsured and homeless men, women and children. The clinic provides more than 86,500 medical, 2,100 vision, 2,100 dental and 8,700 mental health visits annually, as well as auxiliary visits, like case management and health education, through its eight locations on the west side of Los Angeles County.

Venice Family Clinic also enjoys a formal affiliation with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. UCLA provides human resource services, while the clinic provides training in community primary and specialty care to more than 350 residents and medical students each year. For more information on Venice Family Clinic, visit www.venicefamilyclinic.org. OneWest Foundation The OneWest Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation established in 2009 with a $10 million contribution from OneWest Bank, FSB. The foundation's priorities include the provision of affordable housing, health care, education and financial literacy, as well as other important community development efforts that develop, stabilize or rehabilitate underserved communities. OneWest Bank, FSB is a regional bank focused on delivering personalized, relationship-based banking to its customers. It has 81 retail branches in Southern California, with approximately $14 billion in deposits and total assets of $27 billion, including a loan portfolio, a securities portfolio, a servicing platform representing more than $150 billion of loans serviced for third-party investors, and Financial Freedom, a reverse mortgage platform. OneWest is an FDIC-insured institution and funds deposited in the bank are insured up to the FDIC's insurance limit of $250,000 per depositor. For more information, visit www.onewestbank.com.

Keywords: Banking, Finance, Financial, Foundation, Health, Health Policy, Hospitals, Insurance, Investing, Investment, Marketing and Licensing Agreements, Medical Technology, Medicare, Medicare and Medicaid, Mortgage, Mortgages, Pediatrics, Philanthropy, Professional Services, Real Estate, Reverse Mortgage, Technology, OneWest Foundation.

RONALD REAGAN UCLA MEDICAL CENTER RATED ONE OF TOP HOSPITALS IN THE U.S. RANKED 'BEST IN WEST' FOR 22ND CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN ANNUAL SURVEY. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES -- The following information was released by the University of California Los Angeles:

By Roxanne Moster

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranks among the top five American hospitals, according to a U.S. News and World Report survey that reviewed patient-outcomes data, reputation among physicians and other care-related factors. The medical center also was rated the best hospital in the western United States for the 22nd consecutive year and the No. 1 hospital in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

'Our purpose is to heal humankind, one patient at a time,' said Dr. David Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System and UCLA associate vice chancellor for health sciences. 'Every day, every night and every holiday, our team of incredible doctors, nurses and staff comes to work to make sure that every patient we see is treated like a member of our own family. While we are pleased with this recognition, what really drives us is ensuring that every patient that comes through our doors gets care that is compassionate, safe, of the highest quality, and delivered with dignity and respect.'

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is also the only hospital in Los Angeles and the Southern California region that appears on the magazine's 'Honor Roll.' The latest rankings showcase 720 hospitals out of about 5,000 nationwide. Each is ranked among the country's top hospitals in at least one medical specialty and/or is ranked among the best hospitals in its metropolitan area. Just 17 hospitals made the national honor roll, a distinction that signals both rare breadth and depth of medical excellence.

The rankings can be found online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and will be featured in the U.S. News 'Best Hospitals' guidebook, which will go on sale Aug. 30.

The goal of U.S. News' 'Best Hospitals' is to help guide patients who need an especially high level of care because of a difficult surgery, a challenging condition or added risks because of other health problems or age.

'These are referral centers where other hospitals send their sickest patients,' said Avery Comarow, U.S. News' health rankings editor. 'Hospitals like these are ones you or those close to you should consider when the stakes are high.'

'This honor confirms, once again, that the UCLA Health System is one of the premier health care providers in the nation,' said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 'We take tremendous pride in receiving this prestigious recognition of our high-quality, exemplary patient-centered care. I commend and congratulate each member of our UCLA Health System team for putting patients first and helping us earn this distinction.'

Covering 94 metro areas in the U.S., the metropolitan region hospital rankings complement the national rankings by including hospitals with solid performance, nearly at the level of nationally ranked institutions. The regional rankings are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked 'best hospital' or who may not be willing or able to travel long distances for medical care. The U.S. News metro rankings give many such patients and their families more options of hospitals within their community and in their health insurance network.

Hard numbers stand behind the rankings in most areas -- death rates, patient safety, procedure volume and other objective data. Responses to a national survey, in which physicians were asked to name hospitals they consider the best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also were factored in.

The rankings cover 16 medical specialties and include all 94 metro areas that have at least 500,000 residents and at least one hospital that performed well enough to be ranked.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was rated one of the top five hospitals in the nation, along with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, which ranked first; Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, which was second; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., which was third; and the Cleveland Clinic, which was fourth.

The 'Best Hospitals' honor roll highlights the medical centers that were ranked at or near the top in at least six specialties. Nationally, UCLA ranked in the top 20 in 15 of the 16 specialty areas. In each of the following specialties, UCLA's national rankings are indicated: cancer at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (10); cardiology and heart surgery (9); diabetes and endocrinology (7); ear, nose and throat (11); gastroenterology (6); geriatrics (2); gynecology (13); kidney disorders/nephrology (7); neurology and neurosurgery (7); ophthalmology at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute (5); orthopaedics (19); psychiatry at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA (7); pulmonology (13); rheumatology (6); and urology (4).

In addition, the UCLA Health System's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA was ranked No. 8 and its Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital was ranked No. 15, both designated as high-performing hospitals in the Los Angeles metro area.

'These are hospitals we call 'high performers,'' Comarow said. 'They are fully capable of giving most patients first-rate care, even if they have serious conditions or need demanding procedures. Almost every major metro area has at least one of these hospitals.'

Recently, the UCLA Health System was the focus of 'Prescription for Excellence,' a book focusing on leadership lessons from the UCLA Health System for creating a world-class customer experience.

View videos featuring the stories of patients treated at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

UCLA joins forces with White House to meet unique needs of veterans, families. - Defense & Aerospace Week

As part of a White House effort to ensure that America's military heroes receive care worthy of their service, the UCLA Health System and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have pledged to mobilize their uniquely integrated missions in education, research and clinical care to help train physicians to meet the special needs of veterans, active service members and their families.

Joining Forces, an initiative launched by first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, announced that UCLA and a number of other renowned institutions, along with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), have partnered to help create a new generation of doctors, medical schools and research facilities that can deliver first-rate care to current and former military members, including treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

The commitment is the latest in a series of ongoing efforts by the UCLA Health System and the Geffen School of Medicine to provide cutting-edge medical and mental health care to wounded warriors and their loved ones.

'We are honored to participate in the White House Joining Forces initiative to address the health care needs of military service members, veterans and their families,' said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA's vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the Geffen School of Medicine. 'We launched Operation Mend in 2007, a program that provides reconstructive surgery and medical services to service members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. This unique medical program combines the best of the military's resources with the skills of the UCLA Health System for a comprehensive and collaborative treatment approach for those who have served our country.

'We're also pleased to address the mental health needs of U.S. military personnel and their families through our FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) program. Currently being implemented at over 20 sites around the country and in Japan, UCLA's FOCUS provides mental health intervention, treatment and support to improve the psychological health of our military members and their families. Our goal is to show these heroes that their country is there for them, no matter what they're going through.'

Together, the Geffen School of Medicine, the UCLA Health System, the AAMC and the AACOM are committed to enriching medical education to make physicians aware of the clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for this group; developing new research and clinical trials on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries to better understand and treat these conditions; sharing information and best practices with each other and other institutions through a collaborative web forum created by the AAMC; and growing the body of knowledge leading to improvements in health care and wellness for military service members, veterans and their families.

'I'm inspired to see our nation's medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families,' Michelle Obama said. 'By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they're ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned.'

To date, UCLA's Operation Mend has treated nearly 60 U.S. soldiers wounded and disfigured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Founded by philanthropist Ronald A. Katz, a member of the board and executive committee of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and his late wife, Maddie, Operation Mend is a partnership among the UCLA Health System, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

The program's original goal was to give returning service members with severe facial injuries access to the Army's best burn center and the nation's best plastic and reconstructive surgeons. The mission has since expanded to include healing of the body, mind and spirit. In addition to plastic and reconstructive surgery, the program now provides mental health support for service members and their families, orthopedic reconstruction for severely damaged limbs, urologic treatment, otolaryngological care, examination and treatment of reproductive issues, repair of airways, and the design of prosthetic ears.

Since 2009, UCLA's Project FOCUS, led by associate professor of psychiatry Patricia Lester, has reached out to military families to help prevent the personal and psychological problems that long and often multiple wartime deployments can lead to, not only for the service member on the front lines but for families back home.

UCLA faculty have also been pivotal in advancing research and policy on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, a major focus of the new Joint Forces partnership.

David Hovda, a professor of neurosurgery and director of the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, is a national expert on traumatic brain injuries who played a key role in advising the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the establishment of mandatory protocols to help service members recover after suffering such injuries. In June 2011, the U.S. Army presented Hovda with its Strength of the Nation Award for his extraordinary contributions to caring for the nation's wounded warriors. The award is presented annually to an individual who engages in exemplary public service that makes a substantial contribution in completing the Army's mission. Operation Mend's Ronald Katz received the award in 2010.

'It is a privilege for the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to assist our country's men and women in the military,' said Dr. David T. Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System. 'We are honored to partner with Brooke Army Medical Center to help heal several of America's wounded warriors - and to partner with the White House Joining Forces initiative.'

Keywords: Asia, PTSD, Defense, *U.S. Army, Government, Central Nervous System, University of California - Los Angeles.

UCLA CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS TECHNOLOGY'S IMPACT ON SUCCESSFUL AGING OCT. 29. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

While aging impacts everyday living in many ways, the latest technologies in the medical, consumer and lifestyle fields have the potential to help older adults live better for longer.

The UCLA Center on Aging's third annual 'UCLA Technology and Aging Conference: Science Changing Lives,' will feature national academic and industry leaders who will explore cutting-edge innovations affecting every aspect of life, from video games for seniors and remote health monitoring to medical robotics and the latest imaging tools for diagnosis and disease management.

The one-day symposium takes place Friday, Oct. 29, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Designed for older adults, their families and caregivers, the conference will provide information about the latest developments to help enhance the quality of life of seniors. Many speakers at the conference have been featured in the national media for their research and work.

'Every year, we explore how the latest technological innovations and medical advances can help us age more successfully,' said Dr. Gary Small, UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging and director of the UCLA Center on Aging. 'It's a great opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field.'

Dr. Joseph F. Coughlin, founder and director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will present the morning keynote address.

During lunch, Small, who is also a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, will give an overview of how technology has enhanced the field of psychiatry and what to expect in the future.

An afternoon keynote by Gerald Kominski, professor of health services and director of the Health Economics and Evaluation Research Program at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, will address how health care reform will impact the lives of seniors.

Conference breakout sessions will take place throughout the day and will focus on developments in disease management and treatment, adaptive and assistive devices, and the impact of information technology on well-being.

Panels will include:

Technology Addiction -- How to Digitally Detox

The constant availability of the Internet, e-mail, texting and video gaming has led to a new form of compulsive and dependent behavior. Panelists will explore the similarities between these and other forms of addiction and obsessive-compulsive tendencies and offer strategies to help adapt to the modern age.

(Dr. Gary Small, UCLA Center on Aging; Dr. Gloria Mark, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine; Dr. Timothy Fong, UCLA Impulse Control Disorders Clinic)

Remote Health Sensors: Tele-Health Monitoring and Diagnosis

Experts will demonstrate the latest devices for monitoring stroke patients, a sophisticated electronic shoe to help balance and coordination, and technology for at-home transmission of medical data for diagnosis and disease management.

(Dr. Majid Sarrafzadeh, UCLA Wireless Health Institute; Dr. Bruce Dobkin, UCLA Neurologic Rehabilitation and Research Unit; Dr. Nick Terrafranca, MediSens; Dr. Michael Ong, UCLA Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research; Lorraine Evangelista, UCLA School of Nursing)

Medical Bionics and Robotics

The panel will examine the latest in robotic heart surgery, real-time tactile feedback for prostheses, advances in urologic surgery and devices such as a pacemaker for the bladder.

(Dr. Erik Dutson, UCLA Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology; Dr. Richard Shemin, UCLA chief of cardiothoracic surgery; Dr. Larissa Rodriguez, UCLA Division of Female Urology, Reconstructive Surgery and Urodynamics)

Busting Anti-Aging Myths

Do reservatol, antioxidants and vitamin C help you live longer? A leading expert separates fact from fiction in presenting the latest on longevity and diet.

(Dr. David Heber, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition)

A New Generation of Gamers

Learn about the latest innovative adaptations to traditional video games that can be used safely by 'gamers' of all ages, including seniors.

(Belinda Lange, University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies)

Advances in Imaging: Latest Tools to Diagnose and Treat Disease

Learn about the latest updates in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, including techniques for cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary imaging and vascular radiology.

(Dr. J. Pablo Villablanca, UCLA chief of diagnostic neuroradiology; Dr. Cheryl Hoffman, UCLA Department of Radiology, Interventional Radiology Section; Dr. Paul Finn, UCLA chief of diagnostic cardiovascular imaging)

Staying in Home vs. Assisted Living

According to statistics, 95 percent of seniors elect to stay in their own homes, but is that the right choice? Two national experts debate the issue of staying in the home with delivered services versus moving into a residential assisted-living building designed to cater to social and service needs.

(Victor Regnier, ACSA Distinguished Professor, University of Southern California School of Architecture; Jon Pynoos, professor of gerontology, policy and planning, University of Southern California Andrus Gerontology Center)

Brain Fitness: Improving Cognitive Performance and Brain Health

Growing scientific evidence suggests physical and mental exercise can improve brain health and cognitive function. Experts will review the latest research supporting brain fitness, highlight new cognitive training devices and discuss the challenges of determining the effectiveness of these technologies.

(Dr. Gary Small, UCLA Center on Aging; Dr. Bill Reichman of Baycrest, an academic health science center focused on aging in Toronto; Steven Aldrich, Posit Science; Gary and Rita Considine, creators of the brain game 'Mind Power')

Ending Back Pain

Nine out of 10 adults will experience back pain in their lifetime. This session will explore the latest advances in treatment for eliminating back pain, including techniques and advances in surgery, spinal imaging, injection therapy and novel rehabilitation methods.

(Dr. Jeffrey Wang, UCLA Orthopedic Surgery; Dr. David Fish, UCLA Injection Therapy; Sean Hampton, UCLA physical therapist)

Memory Boot Camp

How good is your memory? Test your skills in this interactive session and learn methods for stimulating your memory from experts at the UCLA Center on Aging.

(Dr. Linda Ercoli and Dr. Karen Miller, UCLA Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute)

Cutting-Edge Devices

Swallow a capsule to image a digestive tract or replace the need for a heart transplant with a mechanical pump called the Heart Mate II. Panelists will discuss the latest advances in minimally invasive procedures and new treatments.

(Dr. Rome Jutabha, UCLA Center for Small Bowel Diseases; Dr. W. Robb MacLellan, UCLA Division of Cardiology; Dr. Eric Esrailian, UCLA Division of Digestive Diseases)

Physical Exercise and Cognitive Health

Can working out really increase your brain function? Experts will examine evidence of the positive effects that exercise and environmental enrichment can have on brain activity.

(Dr. Carl Cotman, Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine; Dr. Amelia Russo-Neustadt, department of biological sciences, California State University, Los Angeles; Dr. Nicole Berchtold, Mind Research Unit, University of California, Irvine; Dr. Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, UCLA Department of Physiological Science)

The Friday, Oct. 29, conference will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Skirball Cultural Center. For a full program, registration and more information, please call 310-794-0777 or visit www.aging.ucla.edu/TechAgingConference.html.

Corporate conference sponsors include Belmont Village Senior Living, Northern Trust and AARP.

The UCLA Center on Aging is a nonprofit organization that aims to enhance and extend productive and healthy life through research and education on aging. Founded in 1991, the center brings geriatrics and gerontology to the forefront of public awareness and support and offers a number of programs to the public, including memory training, the Senior Scholars program and community meetings, as well as conferences on aging and technology and research.

RONALD REAGAN UCLA MEDICAL CENTER RATED ONE OF TOP HOSPITALS IN THE U.S. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

Contact: Roxanne Moster

(Note to editors: B-roll footage of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and the UCLA Health System is available by request via FTP.)

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center ranks among the top five American hospitals, according to a U.S. News and World Report survey that reviewed patient-outcomes data, reputation among physicians and other care-related factors. The medical center also was rated the best hospital in the western United States for the 22nd consecutive year and the No. 1 hospital in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

'Our purpose is to heal humankind, one patient at a time,' said Dr. David Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System and UCLA associate vice chancellor for health sciences. 'Every day, every night and every holiday, our team of incredible doctors, nurses and staff comes to work to make sure that every patient we see is treated like a member of our own family. While we are pleased with this recognition, what really drives us is ensuring that every patient that comes through our doors gets care that is compassionate, safe, of the highest quality, and delivered with dignity and respect.'

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is also the only hospital in Los Angeles and the Southern California region that appears on the magazine's 'Honor Roll.' The latest rankings showcase 720 hospitals out of about 5,000 nationwide. Each is ranked among the country's top hospitals in at least one medical specialty and/or is ranked among the best hospitals in its metropolitan area. Just 17 hospitals made the national honor roll, a distinction that signals both rare breadth and depth of medical excellence.

The rankings can be found online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and will be featured in the U.S. News 'Best Hospitals' guidebook, which will go on sale Aug. 30.

The goal of U.S. News' 'Best Hospitals' is to help guide patients who need an especially high level of care because of a difficult surgery, a challenging condition or added risks because of other health problems or age.

'These are referral centers where other hospitals send their sickest patients,' said Avery Comarow, U.S. News' health rankings editor. 'Hospitals like these are ones you or those close to you should consider when the stakes are high.'

'This honor confirms, once again, that the UCLA Health System is one of the premier health care providers in the nation,' said Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. 'We take tremendous pride in receiving this prestigious recognition of our high-quality, exemplary patient-centered care. I commend and congratulate each member of our UCLA Health System team for putting patients first and helping us earn this distinction.'

Covering 94 metro areas in the U.S., the metropolitan region hospital rankings complement the national rankings by including hospitals with solid performance, nearly at the level of nationally ranked institutions. The regional rankings are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at a nationally ranked 'best hospital' or who may not be willing or able to travel long distances for medical care. The U.S. News metro rankings give many such patients and their families more options of hospitals within their community and in their health insurance network.

Hard numbers stand behind the rankings in most areas -- death rates, patient safety, procedure volume and other objective data. Responses to a national survey, in which physicians were asked to name hospitals they consider the best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also were factored in.

The rankings cover 16 medical specialties and include all 94 metro areas that have at least 500,000 residents and at least one hospital that performed well enough to be ranked.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was rated one of the top five hospitals in the nation, along with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, which ranked first; Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, which was second; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., which was third; and the Cleveland Clinic, which was fourth.

The 'Best Hospitals' honor roll highlights the medical centers that were ranked at or near the top in at least six specialties. Nationally, UCLA ranked in the top 20 in 15 of the 16 specialty areas. In each of the following specialties, UCLA's national rankings are indicated: cancer at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (10); cardiology and heart surgery (9); diabetes and endocrinology (7); ear, nose and throat (11); gastroenterology (6); geriatrics (2); gynecology (13); kidney disorders/nephrology (7); neurology and neurosurgery (7); ophthalmology at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute (5); orthopaedics (19); psychiatry at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA (7); pulmonology (13); rheumatology (6); and urology (4).

In addition, the UCLA Health System's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA was ranked No. 8 and its Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital was ranked No. 15, both designated as high-performing hospitals in the Los Angeles metro area.

'These are hospitals we call 'high performers,'' Comarow said. 'They are fully capable of giving most patients first-rate care, even if they have serious conditions or need demanding procedures. Almost every major metro area has at least one of these hospitals.'

Recently, the UCLA Health System was the focus of 'Prescription for Excellence,' a book focusing on leadership lessons from the UCLA Health System for creating a world-class customer experience.

View videos featuring the stories of patients treated at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

UCLA, MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION FUND JOIN TO ESTABLISH NEW GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY UNIT. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

The Motion Picture and Television Fund, the 90-year-old charity supporting members of Hollywood's entertainment industry, today announced a first-of-its-kind affiliation with the UCLA Health System and UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital to establish a geriatric psychiatry unit at the MPTF's Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, Calif.

The unit, co-branded by the MPTF and UCLA, will provide inpatient and outpatient services to individuals 55 years and older with emotional or behavioral disorders. It will accommodate up to 12 patients and is anticipated to be fully operational, pending regulatory approvals, by the first quarter of 2013.

'This historic linkage with the UCLA Health System is another key piece in the larger strategy we have developed for our organization,' said the MPTF's CEO Bob Beitcher. 'Among our many goals, we are focused on building a health care campus capable of delivering a broad set of services to our industry members and, selectively, to the San Fernando Valley community.'

'UCLA feels privileged to contribute its world-class geriatric expertise to MPTF's storied campus,' said Dr. David Feinberg, president of the UCLA Health System. 'UCLA has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with the entertainment community, and this new affiliation will be a welcome extension of that.'

The new unit's medical director will hold a faculty position at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and will participate in the academic and research activities of the university. The MPTF will provide the unit's clinical caregivers, and MPTF medical staff will collaborate with UCLA at the Wasserman Campus to integrate the practices of geriatric medicine and geriatric psychiatry for industry members. In connection with the MPTF's social services program, there will also be a focus on the impact of psychiatric illness on caregivers and families.

'UCLA's Department of Psychiatry is very pleased to be part of this extraordinary affiliation with MPTF,' said Dr. Thomas Strouse, director of the Resnick Neuropsychiatirc Hospital. 'We will be bringing specialized faculty and our state-of-the-art geriatric psychiatry treatment program to the MPTF facility in Woodland Hills, and we look forward to a creative alliance that will also encompass wellness, prevention, and health-maintenance clinical research activities,' Strouse added.

The MPTF will make this new service available on a preferential basis to entertainment industry members, as well as to the community. The organization's previously announced 40-bed long-term care unit and Harry's Haven, its 30-bed dementia care unit, will remain exclusive to members of the entertainment community.

'The MPTF board is committed to management's new health care roadmap, and we could not have a higher regard for Dr. David Feinberg, Dr. Gary Small, Dr. Thomas Strouse and the UCLA geriatric psychiatry program,' said Casey Wasserman, an MPTF board member. 'UCLA and this team represent the best possible partner for MPTF as it moves into this new service.'

The Motion Picture and Television Fund has served for 90 years as a beacon of hope for entertainment industry members in their time of need. As a charitable organization, the MPTF provides financial assistance and services essential to the well-being of the community and is a leader in the development and implementation of services and programs for seniors and those who care for them. The charity is supported by the generosity of corporate donors and fellow entertainment industry members who contribute their time and money, knowing if they were ever in a tight spot, the MPTF would be there for them too.

UCLA PARTNERSHIP RECEIVES $12 MILLION GRANT TO IMPROVE HIV CARE IN MALAWI. - States News Service

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The following information was released by UCLA Health System:

The U.S. Agency for International Development has awarded $12 million to a partnership that includes the UCLA Department of Medicine to improve the quality of HIV care in Malawi.

The partnership, called EQUIP-Malawi, (Extending QUality ImProvement for HIV/AIDS in Malawi), comprises the UCLA Program in Global Health and the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; the Partners in Hope Medical Center, a non-governmental agency in Lilongwe, Malawi; the Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation-Malawi; the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation; and Toga Laboratories of South Africa.

UCLA's share of the five-year grant is $2.5 million. Dr. David Eisenman, UCLA assistant professor of medicine, division of general internal medicine and health services research, is the UCLA project director. The overall project director of EQUIP-Malawi Project Director is Dr. Perry Jansen, a UCLA-trained family physician and founder of Partners in Hope Medical Center in Malawi.

'EQUIP will rapidly improve the lives of thousands of people in Malawi by reducing new infections in infants and adults and by ensuring more persons who are infected get the quality treatment and care they need,' Eisenman said. 'It's a privilege to bring UCLA's skills and resources to help Malawi improve the quality of its HIV care.'

Dr. Thomas J. Coates, director of the UCLA Program in Global Health and associate director of the UCLA AIDS Institute, is the UCLA project overseer and will chair the EQUIP-Malawi Steering Committee with membership from the United States, Malawi and South Africa.

'The UCLA Program in Global Health has been a long-term partner of Partners in Hope in Malawi,' said Coates, who is also a UCLA professor-in-residence of medicine in the division of infectious diseases. 'We are pleased to join them in this effort and work with the other important partners - Baylor College of Medicine, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Toga Laboratories.'

Project co-directors are Dr. Risa Hoffman, a UCLA clinical instructor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, and John Hamilton, director of the UCLA-Malawi Initiative in the UCLA Program in Global Health,

EQUIP-Malawi project capitalizes on the partners' existing networks, infrastructure and acquired expertise and has three complementary objectives:

Strengthening the continuum of HIV care among various health services, facilities and communities in Malawi.

Developing training and mentoring programs to improve workforce capacity and quality of care.

Creating a consortium of sites for operational research to improve the quality of HIV care and training.

For more information about EQUIP-Malawi, visit the Program in Global Health's website at www.globalhealth.med.ucla.edu.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. It supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting economic growth, agriculture and trade; global health; and democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID's strength is its field offices around the world. It works in close partnership with private voluntary organizations, indigenous organizations, universities, American businesses, international agencies, other governments, and other U.S. government agencies. USAID has working relationships with more than 3,500 American companies and over 300 U.S.-based private voluntary organizations.

The UCLA Program in Global Health (PGH) is part of the division of infectious diseases, department of medicine, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. PGH partners with academic institutions in developing countries to advance prevention, policy, and clinical research for HIV/AIDS and other diseases in all regions of the world. It works with developing-country partners to integrate treatment and prevention of HIV, implement innovative prevention programs, stimulate the enactment of beneficial policies and laws, address gender inequity, and train the next generation of U.S. and developing-country scientists and advocates to continue this essential work.