More than a century ago Adventist Medical Center (AMC) in Portland, Ore., launched a legacy from a tiny, six-patient sanitarium. With its Seventh-day Adventist mission, AMC laid the symbolic foundation of whole person care, paving the way for growth that has expanded to a modern multi-building campus, clinic system and imaging center. Today that growth is expressed in the groundbreaking of a new pavilion building and parking structure.

With a special ceremony late last year, AMC broke ground on the project, which attracted local dignitaries, Adventist Health system executives, area physicians and the hospital family. The new four-story pavilion will combine a number of existing and new services in a facility that offers convenient access for patients.

“What’s happening here today wouldn’t be possible without a dedicated leadership team with vision, fortitude and a strong commitment to the mission of this organization and a passion for the community,” said Larry Dodds, Adventist Health senior vice president, at the ceremony.

“We take pride in our past and look forward to the promise of our future.”

“This is a great place to care for patients,” said Daniel Crawford, president-elect of AMC’s medical staff. “The building of this new complex will allow us to provide quality, compassionate care in a technically advanced setting.”

When completed, the $104 million project will add 181,000 square feet to the hospital campus and a new multi-level parking garage with 440 new parking spaces. Services at the new pavilion will include an expanded emergency department, additional inpatient operating rooms and a new center for cardiovascular services that will provide a one-stop location for diagnosis and treatment. “Adventist Medical Center is expanding what health care should be through this state-of-the-art complex,” said Tom Russell, AMC’s senior vice president in charge of the building project.

“This project is the result of considerable effort in planning for the future needs of our community,” said Deryl Jones, president and CEO of the hospital. “Our goal is to provide improved access for our patients and to create an optimum environment for advanced medical care.”

The Honorable Jeff Merkley, Democratic Leader of the Oregon House of Representatives, participated in the ceremony, remarking that AMC is the largest employer in Portland's District 47 and its Emergency Department is one of the busiest in the city. "This complex signals a continued commitment to building a healthy community," said Merkley.

At the ceremony, eight symbolic stones were laid to represent the core aspects of the hospital’s mission of demonstrating the human expression of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Attendees were invited to write a word on individual river rocks denoting what health care should be.

“The actual stones will be incorporated into the foundation of the pavilion structure and will be the bedrock from which we will function,” said Jones.

The new pavilion is scheduled to be completed in mid-2009. For the latest information, please visit www.adventisthealthnw.com.