Keck Medicine of USC celebrates a milestone on April 1, marking the 10-year anniversary of USC’s purchase of two hospitals from Tenet Healthcare Corporation. Hailed at the time as a “tremendous victory,” the acquisition of Keck Hospital of USC — then known as USC University Hospital — and USC Norris Cancer Hospital officially created the second full-service academic medical center of its kind in the greater Los Angeles region.
“Over the last decade, USC’s Health Sciences Campus has grown quickly and considerably, and now houses the anchor academic medical center for East Los Angeles. This distinction speaks to the quality of care and dedication that our faculty and staff bring to our patients every day, as well as a validation of the historic acquisition of the two hospitals,” USC Interim President Wanda Austin said. “With this growth, we are also delighted to see how our HSC community is partnering with its surrounding neighborhoods in meaningful, creative ways.”
The USC Trojan Marching Band performs in front of USC University Hospital during a celebration marking USC’s purchase of the hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital in 2009. (Photo/File)
The $275 million deal, which was finalized April 1, 2009, included more than 450 inpatient beds and 1,600 hospital employees already located at the university’s Health Sciences Campus. Acquiring the private hospitals allowed USC’s faculty physicians to shape the direction of clinical programs, provide advanced health care for patients, and accelerate innovative therapies and surgical techniques with the backing of a university-based medical center, university leadership said at the time.
Two years later, a $150 million gift from the W. M. Keck Foundation unified the campus, by naming the enterprise Keck Medicine of USC, renaming Keck Hospital of USC and designating the two hospitals as Keck Medical Center of USC.
“We are proud of the work we have done over the past 10 years to build Keck Medicine of USC into a premier medical enterprise. Our partnership with the university has allowed us to recruit new faculty to expand on our foundation of outstanding physicians and continue the groundbreaking research for tomorrow’s clinical breakthroughs,” said Tom Jackiewicz, CEO of Keck Medicine.
Since then, Keck Medicine has grown substantially. The medical enterprise includes more than 7,000 employees at three hospitals — Keck Hospital, USC Norris Cancer Hospital and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital — and more than 40 outpatient locations in Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern and Orange counties.
Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital are ranked among the top three hospitals in Los Angeles and the top seven in California by U.S. News & World Report in 2018. Keck Medical Center was ranked in the top 50 nationwide in nine specialties, including No. 17-ranked cancer, making it the highest-ranked cancer specialty in Southern California.
— Melissa Masatani
By the Numbers: Then and Now
Take a look at the different ways Keck Medicine of USC has grown since the purchase of the two hospitals in 2009:
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- 574: Number of Doctors of USC physicians and practitioners in 2009
- 1,200: Number of USC Care physicians and practitioners in 2019
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- 1,600: Total number of hospital employees in USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital in 2009
- 7,000+: Number of employees at Keck Medicine of USC in 2019
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- 7,700: Inpatient visits per year at USC University Hospital in 2009
- 21,000: Inpatient discharges per year at Keck Medicine of USC locations in 2019
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- 56,000: Outpatient visits per year at USC University Hospital in 2009
- 575,000: Outpatient visits per year at Keck Medicine of USC locations in 2019