HOSPITAL PROJECT GIVEN $110,000 SBC CLASSIC WAS A SHOT IN THE ARM.

Byline: Daily News

VALENCIA - Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital received a check Tuesday for $110,000 from the SBC Classic - money raised from the annual PGA Champions tour stop - to help finance a $12 million emergency room expansion.

The hospital's fundraising arm has tallied more than $10 million so far in its capital campaign. The Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation began soliciting donations in April 2004 to build a new emergency department and trauma center, and a cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Officials broke ground in March. The new facility will feature a total of 33 beds, an increase from the existing 21 beds. Also planned are rooms and equipment dedicated to cardiac care, obstetrics, pediatrics and nuclear or biological emergencies. There will be two triage rooms and an expanded waiting room with a separate area for children.

``SBC is thrilled to provide local Southern California residents with larger and better-equipped health facilities,'' Dave Nichols, an SBC senior vice president, said in a statement. ``The Champions Tour and the SBC Classic are deeply committed to giving back to local communities, and our annual tournament has been a fantastic venue for encouraging local residents to enjoy the best of golf.''

The expansion comes as the hospital faces competition from Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, which is completing an outpatient center up the street and is preparing for a $116 million expansion of its hospital in Mission Hills.

Newhall Memorial Chief Executive Roger Seaver said the hospital is working to meet the growing needs of local residents.

``The increasing population of the Santa Clarita Valley makes it essential that the valley's only hospital expand its services to meet the health care needs of area residents and businesses,'' he said in a statement. ``Our demand for emergency services is increasing and we need a new emergency department with adequate, well-designed space and state-of-the-art equipment to treat an increasing number of trauma and critical care patients.''

The hospital foundation won a $500,000 grant in June from the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Local physicians have pledged nearly $600,000 so far; employees have contributed $350,000, while volunteers donated $225,000.

The SBC Classic, held each March at the Valencia Country Club, has provided local organizations with a key fundraising venue through the sale of tickets and corporate hospitality.

``The commitment from SBC is a meaningful expression of support for the advancement of health care in the Santa Clarita Valley,'' said Diana Vose, Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation's president.