50 YEARS OF SERVICE VA HOSPITAL MARKS GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer NORTH HILLS - Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Sepulveda VA hospital, officials on Wednesday unsealed a time capsule that represented a half-century of health care for San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. veterans. Veterans and their families looked on as hospital officials cracked open a wall, removed the capsule and revealed 31 items that were stored there in 1980 at a 25th-anniversary celebration. The capsule contained photos of the anniversary cake, a 1955 film of the hospital's dedication, newspaper articles on the opening, slides of volunteers and the patients' newsletter. ``It meant a great deal to me,'' said Navy veteran Joseph Fleischman, 77, of North Hills, a patient with bipolar disorder bipolar disorder, formerly manic-depressive disorder or manic-depression, severe mental disorder involving manic episodes that are usually accompanied by episodes of depression. who has used the hospital since 1980. ``My illness has crippled me for the past 20 (years) to 30 years.'' Other items in the capsule included a picture of the raising of the 25th anniversary flag, copies of newspapers - including the Valley Green Sheet, which became the Daily News - from that day, a picture of a plaque being presented to the original employees, slides of volunteers in the hospital and a history of the hospital. The $20 million hospital opened April 17, 1955, on a former chicken ranch. It helped usher in Verb 1. usher in - be a precursor of; "The fall of the Berlin Wall ushered in the post-Cold War period" inaugurate, introduce commence, lead off, start, begin - set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. a new era in psychiatric care, offering medical and surgical inpatient and outpatient services outpatient services Hospital-based services Managed care Medical and other services provided, to a nonadmitted Pt, by a hospital or other qualified facility–eg, mental health clinic, rural health clinic, mobile X-ray unit, free-standing dialysis unit Examples . It grew from 650 patients to more than 1,000. Today it is a full-time ambulatory-care center with about 100 nursing- home beds. Martin Light, 72, who served in the Korean War Korean War, conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation. as an airplane mechanic in the Air Force, still volunteers at the hospital, setting up bingo games for other veterans. He said the ceremony was an important reminder that veterans are still around. ``It's important to let people know that we're here, that we're still alive and well,'' he said. ``It's a view of the past and a dedication of the future to maintain services for the veterans.'' Howard Cooperman, 63, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, retired recently after working for 42 years for the agency that was the Veterans Administration until it reached Cabinet level, with the full title Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Affairs is a term of the business that deals with the relation between a government and its veteran communities, usually administered by the designated government agency. , in 1989. ``It was great just to see a lot of people, who have come back to see this, and realize that Sepulveda is still around and in people's memories,'' said Cooperman, a Granada Hills resident. ``Sepulveda is still here. There's still services for the (veterans). Sepulveda is not going anywhere.'' The hospital survived critical damage during the 6.7-magnitude Northridge Earthquake The Northridge earthquake occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in the city of Los Angeles, California. The earthquake had a "strong" moment magnitude of 6. in 1994. The quake forced the closure of inpatient services inpatient service Managed care A service provided to a hospitalized Pt. Cf Outpatient service. and the gymnasium, but the facility was eventually renovated and reopened. Jason Kandel, (818) 713-3664 jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Opened on Wednesday, a time capsule held mementos of the Sepulveda VA hospital's first 25 years and forecasts of a 50th anniversary in 2005. Below, Donna Beiter, left, and Martha Stewart <noinclude></noinclude> Martha Stewart (born Martha Helen Kostyra on August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate. She is also a former stockbroker and fashion model. Waite look at a film about the hospital's April 1955 opening. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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