Sequoia Hospital
Sequoia Hospital is a hospital in Redwood City, California, US. It is operated by Dignity Health.
History
Founding
In 1938, a group of nine women led by Mary "Dove" Beeger appealed to the city council in Redwood City for a hospital to serve the communities of southern San Mateo County. The city council authorized a study that confirmed the lack of hospital facilities locally. But construction was delayed first by decisions to issue bonds to build a city hall and to build a library, and then by World War II. In 1946, voters approved the creation of the Sequoia Hospital District. Construction of the hospital began in 1949 as one of the first district hospitals in California. The 106-bed hospital was dedicated on October 15, 1950 and the first patient admitted on October 25, 1950.
Merger
In 1995, the hospital was struggling with losses that resulted in layoffs. It lost $1.9 million in 1994 and $7.8 million in 1995. The hospital board sought partners for an affiliation or merger and received proposals from Adventist Health System/West Inc., Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. and Catholic Healthcare West. On March 20, 1996, the hospital board voted 4–1 to affiliate with the non-profit Catholic Healthcare West (rather than the for-profit Columbia/HCA). Ballot Measure H was put to Sequoia Hospital District voters, who approved the merger. The agreement called for the creation of a governing board for the hospital, with equal representation from Catholic Healthcare West and the Sequoia Hospital District and for CHW to pay $30 million to the district.
Rebuilding
After several hospitals were damaged or closed as a result of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the state passed Senate Bill 1953, which required hospitals to meet new seismic standards. As a result, Sequoia Hospital explored the possibility of building a new hospital, possibly at a new location in Redwood City.
However, in 2007, the hospital decided to construct the new building on its existing campus. On November 30, 2007, the Sequoia Healthcare District approved a funding plan for the new hospital in which Sequoia Hospital, Sequoia Healthcare District and CHW would each contribute $75 million toward the cost, with an additional $15 million to be raised by Sequoia Hospital Foundation. The plan called for CHW to take full ownership of the hospital, with half of the earnings over forty years to go to Sequoia Hospital District.
The building plan includes a new hospital with 167 beds, an expanded emergency room, a new medical office building with outpatient surgery facilities and a four-story parking garage. Construction of the garage began in February 2008 and is expected to be complete by September 2009. The new medical office building is expected to be complete by the winter of 2011, while the new hospital building and all seismic upgrades are expected to be complete by the spring of 2013.
Medical services
The hospital is certified by the Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center Program. The cardiac care department is highly ranked by HealthGrades, including:
- Best in California for Coronary Interventional Procedures
- HealthGrades 2008 Cardiac Care Excellence Award recipient
- HealthGrades 2008 Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award recipient
- Top 5% in the Nation for Overall Cardiac Services, Cardiology Services, and Coronary Interventional Procedures
References
- ^ "Sequoia Hospital". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 19 January 1981. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
- ^ Hospital History
- ^ "Peninsula Heritage", San Francisco Examiner 19 Mar 1999
- ^ "Sequoia Hospital seeking proposals", San Francisco Examiner 20 October 1995
- ^ "Sequoia Hospital Board Postpones Merger Vote", San Francisco Chronicle 14 March 1996
- ^ "Sequoia Hospital Gets Third Bidder", San Francisco Chronicle 6 December 1995
- ^ "Redwood City Hospital Picks Merger Partner", San Francisco Chronicle 21 March 1996
- ^ "Sequoia Hospital Gets Partner", San Francisco Chronicle 7 August 1996
- ^ Sequoia Healthcare District Archived 2008-10-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development – Facility Development Division (FDD) SB1953 Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Redwood City hospital to relocate, cut beds", San Francisco Chronicle 29 January 2003
- ^ "Sequoia Hospital board OKs privatization deal, seismic upgrade plan", San Francisco Chronicle 1 December 2007
- ^ "Rebuilding Sequoia". Retrieved 2009-07-15.
External links
- Official website
- Sequoia Healthcare District
- Primary Stroke Center Program
- This hospital in the CA Healthcare Atlas A project by OSHPD