Care and Hope for Children

For a family caring for a child with complex medical needs, treatment can mean more than appointments. It can mean traveling between clinics, arranging time away from work and trying to connect the advice of several specialists. A new center in Loma Linda is being built around a simple, consequential idea: bring that care together.

Loma Linda University Children’s Health will celebrate its new Specialty Clinics building with a ribbon-cutting and community mural unveiling at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. Hundreds of community members, civic leaders, donors, physicians and employees are expected, according to the hospital’s announcement.

The five-story, 105,000-square-foot facility will bring nearly 30 pediatric specialties under one roof, creating a centralized destination for outpatient appointments, procedures and treatment involving multiple medical disciplines. Patient services are scheduled to begin in early 2027.

Planned services include cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, pediatric surgery, speech therapy and care for children with craniofacial conditions and spina bifida. Hospital officials have projected more than 75,000 patient visits annually. Bringing services now spread across several locations into one building is intended to improve access and coordination, particularly for children who need continuing, specialized care.

“It shows our commitment to providing top-quality care to every child and family we serve,” Peter Baker, senior vice president for Children’s Hospital, said at the project’s May 2025 topping-off ceremony.

Tuesday’s program will bring together leaders whose responsibilities span medical care, nursing, outpatient services and community support. Scheduled speakers include Dr. Anthony Hilliard, president of Loma Linda University Health and chief executive officer of its hospitals, and Baker.

Also listed are Dr. Francis Chan, chair of pediatrics; Dr. Laren Tan, chair of medicine; Dr. Richard Chinnock, Children’s Hospital chief medical officer; Sherry Nolfe, chief nursing officer; and Brett Walls, vice president for Children’s Hospital Ambulatory Services. Their fields reflect the range of expertise needed to help children whose treatment may involve several specialties.

Rachelle Bussell, senior vice president for advancement, and Randy Possinger, assistant vice president for philanthropy, are also scheduled to speak. Representatives of Layton Construction will participate in the program.

The celebration will include a particularly personal expression of community support: a mosaic mural created by Project S.N.A.P. Hospital organizers describe the finished artwork as measuring 10 by 15 feet and incorporating more than 10,000 drawings submitted by patients, donors and community members. Commissioned by Loma Linda University Health, it represents hope, healing and the collective spirit of the families the hospital serves.

The building stands at 11353 Anderson Street, adjacent to the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House. Invited media may check in at 9 a.m. for guided tours beginning at 9:15 a.m., ahead of the ceremony.

The ribbon-cutting marks a milestone in construction. The deeper promise will take shape when families arrive for care: specialists working together, treatment organized around children’s needs, and a community’s support made visible in thousands of individual drawings.