Dreams of Community Care Realized at MLK Outpatient Center

A model for culturally-sensitive healthcare, the Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Outpatient Center is part of a transformative and phased county program to upgrade existing facilities on the 38-acre campus in Los Angeles. The four-level OSHPD-3-compliant facility was envisioned as a new beginning. It was designed to help reestablish the campus as a healthcare leader in the community. Next to the hospital, the high-tech outpatient center is accessible, safe and treats patients with a whole-person approach to care.

Medical care is not the only focus of the facility — it’s also the area’s nucleus for academic research, teaching and economic development. Named for Dr. King, an advocate for community healthcare with a vision of peace and hope for the future, the transparent entry celebrates his legacy in a very public, yet personal way — visitors are greeted by a story-high mural of the civil rights leader framed in the glass façade of the entry.

Key features of the Outpatient Center include:

• Contemporary design with steel and glass materials allows the hospital to fit seamlessly within the context of the existing campus and reflects the bright new vision for the medical “village”.
• Symbolizing the Center’s 360-degree approach to preventive care and overall wellness, a circular drive at the front of the building flows into 10 acres of well-lit and landscaped on-site parking.
• A cantilevered clear glass façade allows natural daylight to flood the building and opens panoramic views to the city. The façade opens to a two-story, light-filled atrium.
• Patients can access 70 outpatient clinics within the Center for a wide-range of services including outpatient surgery, and diagnostic and rehabilitation services such as dental, oncology, women’s services and physical and occupational therapy.
• Finishes in the LEED-Gold-designed facility were chosen to control the spread of infection, be sustainable and aesthetically pleasing.