Hospital News Roundup for February 23
Catholic Healthcare West this summer plans to open a second medical office in Elk Grove, and Kaiser Permanente also is considering additional medical offices in the city, CPR's "KXJZ News" reports.
In addition, Sutter Health is considering construction of a 60-bed hospital in Elk Grove in the next several years (Trujillo, "KXJZ News," CPR, 2/16). A transcript and audio of the CPR segment is available online.
The latest architectural model for a new $690 million, 11-story hospital in Escondido was unveiled on Tuesday to the Palomar Pomerado Health district board, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Andy Hoang, a spokesperson for the district, said officials are aiming for September for approval of the final design by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. The hospital will be financed with a $496 million bond measure that voters approved in 2004, as well as bonds issued to the public, district revenues and donations, according to Hoang (Lou, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2/21).
The San Carlos Citizens for Responsible Planning have sent a letter to city officials expressing concern that the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's $300 million medical center does not guarantee funding from its parent company, Sutter Health, the Oakland Tribune reports. The citizens group was created in opposition to the hospital project.
A Sutter Health executive earlier this month responded to the group's claims and reassured city officials that the company will fund the project. The project's environmental impact report seeks certification by the Planning Commission on March 5 and by the City Council on March 26(Bishop, Oakland Tribune, 2/20).
The San Joaquin Community Hospital's new North Tower will open next month, adding 70 beds and tripling the size of the emergency department, the Bakersfield Californian reports.
After the $72 million, five-story facility opens, parts of the remainder of the hospital will close for about 18 months to undergo a seismic retrofit (Hagedorn, Bakersfield Californian, 2/18).