Seismic Compliance:
Replacing Aging Structures

The devastating earthquakes in Northridge, California in 1994 inspired the state legislature to pass a bill (SB 1953) which amended previous legislation and mandated hospitals in California comply with new seismic requirements. In essence, those standards require that hospitals be the last building standing after a major seismic event, and that patient care areas be held to a higher standard than the rest of the structure.

The portions of our hospital which were built in 1952 and 1966, respectively, are not compliant with the SB 1953 standards. In order to maintain important patient services we must meet the state mandate by January, 2013.*

Our plan to meet the new seismic standards is the new South Building, which will replace approximately 18,000 square feet of the non-compliant structures at the rear of our hospital. The approximately 21,000 square foot replacement building will eventually house the patient-care related departments which are currently in non-compliant structures. We will retain portions of the older but functional structures for administrative and other non-patient care uses.

* That date may be extended by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) on a case-by-case basis based on meeting certain criteria