From Loading Docks to Lifesaving Care: USC Students Explore Keck's Hidden Network

Walking into a hospital, patients follow a familiar rhythm. They check in at the front desk, walk the hallways toward the right department, and sit down with a physician. Some may need a blood test or a CT scan, while others schedule a follow-up appointment or prepare for a longer stay. From the outside, it may feel like a simple sequence of steps. But behind each movement, an intricate network of people, processes, and systems work together to seamlessly transition one stage of care to the next.

Such, while we come to the hospital to treat our own bodies, we rarely consider how the hospital itself operates like a living body too. Patients and staff flow through its corridors like blood cells, moving through “organs” such as imaging, surgery, and inpatient care. Each department plays a specialized role, and all must function in harmony to keep the system running with precision and efficiency. But where lies the brain? The heart? The most vital components without which a hospital cannot function?

On Friday, September 26, 2025, students representing Viterbi School of Engineering, Sol Price School of Public Policy, Dornsife College, and members of the USC Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) visited Keck Medical Center of USC. There, we discovered that the true “heart” of the hospital doesn’t just beat in the operating rooms, ambulatory services, or high-tech departments. Instead, it lies within the often-overlooked support systems that make everything possible: communications, logistics, security, transportation, operations management and more. This interwoven web of services ensures that doctors and nurses have what they need when they need it, quietly sustaining the hospital’s lifeblood and delivering the highest quality of patient care.

As part of the tour, we were guided away from patient-facing areas and into the behind-the scenes spaces that ensure the hospital’s daily functions. At the central receiving area and loading dock, we saw where supplies first arrive - everything from surgical instruments to bed linens. Just as nutrients enter the body through the digestive system, these supplies are processed, sorted, and directed where they’re needed most, ensuring that no part of the hospital goes without critical resources.

Mechanical spaces, security operations, and transportation services offered another glimpse into the hospital’s “circulatory system.” Heating, cooling, and power keep the environment safe and stable for patients and staff, while security teams safeguard the hospital around the clock. Transportation ensures that patients, visitors, and materials move efficiently throughout the campus, maintaining a steady flow akin to the body’s arteries and veins. And this is no small feat. On average, over 1,800 vehicles move through just valet, not to mention the shuttles that run every 5-7 minutes, hundreds of parking spaces across on- or off-campus lots, and the nearby connections to public transportation.

Many details in plain sight are also often taken for granted. For example, groundskeeping and the kitchen emerged as essential contributors. Manicured and sustainable grounds provide a calming environment for patients and families, supporting mental and emotional well-being during difficult times. In the kitchen, staff prepare thousands of meals daily, nourishing patients in recovery as well as caregivers working long hours. Each of these components, though peripheral to direct medical care, plays a vital role in sustaining the hospital’s health, demonstrating to students that healing is powered not only by doctors and nurses, but by a seamless network of support systems working in harmony.

But perhaps most poignant, while today’s technical advances have allowed for endless automation, Keck’s support services mirror patient care by emphasizing the “human touch.” Staff monitor the boiler room around the clock, ensuring that essential systems remain steady and reliable. AI-assisted facial recognition technology is carefully reviewed by trained security staff to guarantee safety without losing sight of compassion. In the kitchens, ingredients are not only sourced from local growers and small businesses, but menus are crafted to reflect the cultural diversity of Los Angeles. Uneaten food is donated to local community shelters or provided free for around-the-clock staff, underscoring a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

We left the tour with newfound, multi-faceted insights on how every corner of a hospital contributes to the oath of healing. Keck Medicine’s excellence is not just measured by medicalbreakthroughs in the operating room, but also by the unseen teams who keep the hospital breathing, flowing, and thriving every day. This holistic vision embodies the values of both Keck Medicine and the University of Southern California: innovation guided by empathy, world-class care supported by community partnership, and a recognition that the strength of a hospital lies in every individual who works to keep its heart beating.