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When Washington Hospital opened in 1958, it served a community of 18,000 people; today it serves more than 365,000 residents and its community is expected to grow over the next several years. Upgrades are needed not only to ensure the Hospital is able to continue to provide care in the event of a disaster, such as a pandemic or earthquake, but also as a result of the growing population throughout the district. In 2000, the Washington Township Health Care District Board of Directors developed a long-range master plan to meet this future demand. Today, implementation of this Facility Master Plan continues.
Hospital staff has been updating the District Board of Directors over the years, but most recently (July 8, 2020) provided another Facility Master Plan update where seismic safety and deficiencies were reviewed. At the July 20, 2020 meeting, Hospital staff also presented to the Board of Directors: Planning for the Future of Your Community Hospital.
With Phases 1 and 2 of the Facility Master Plan complete, on budget and on time, Phase 3 is being further developed. This next phase includes the construction of a new seismically safe building adjacent to the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion and the completion of the build-out in the Pavilion’s unfinished shell space. This would need to be completed in time for the State seismic deadline of 2030. Without execution of Phase 3 of the Facility Master Plan, the District would be required to shut down certain critical programs and services in 2030 under current law, as they would no longer be housed in seismically compliant buildings.
The District anticipates that it will take approximately ten years to design, obtain approvals, and construct the new acute care hospital building. This new patient building will include space for a new cardiac catheterization laboratory, the clinical laboratory, physical therapy, occupational therapy and patient rooms for medical surgical patients, labor and delivery, pediatrics and neonatal intensive care. This phase also includes infill of the empty shell space on the first and ground floors of the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion, which would house the Hospital’s operating room suite or hybrid OR, recovery room, pharmacy, radiology (including CT, MRI and ultrasound).
Prior to recommending the bond measure to the Health Care District Board of Directors, Hospital staff explored various construction options. These options included retrofitting the existing tower, constructing a complete replacement of the current six-story tower, and constructing a new, but smaller, building to replace the existing tower. Ultimately, Hospital staff recommended the last option—constructing a new smaller-size building and infilling shell space in the Pavilion to replace operations in the existing six-story tower.
To provide funding for Phase 3, the Washington Township Health Care District Board of Directors unanimously passed Resolution 1213, calling for the placement of a general obligation bond, Measure XX, in the amount of $425,000,000 on the November 3, 2020, General Election ballot.
“To complete the construction necessary to make Washington Hospital earthquake safe and to ensure the hospital remains open and accessible to provide life-saving care during a major disaster, to provide modern operating rooms, intensive care for infants and modern patient facilities, shall community-owned Washington Township Health Care District authorize $425,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, generating approximately $21,000,000 annually at an average rate of 1 cent per $100 of assessed valuation while bonds are outstanding, with all money staying local?”
As outlined earlier, proceeds from the bond will be used to build a new seismically safe building adjacent to the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion and complete the buildout of services in the Pavilion's existing shell space. Some of the services that will be moved from the Main Hospital into either the Pavilion or the new building include:
Conceptual Rendering of New Building Adjacent to Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion
Measure XX, approved by voters on November 3, 2020, will:
Meet the Needs of the Community Now and Into the Future: Allow your Hospital to offer local access to the most advanced diagnostic and treatment options for heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other diseases, ensuring there are quality medical facilities to meet the health care needs of our growing community now and in the future.
Fulfill State-Mandated Requirements for Earthquake Safety: Build a new seismically safe state-of-the-art building adjacent to the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion; and complete the buildout of services in the Pavilion’s unfinished shell space. Many of the Hospital’s key programs and services remain in the Main Hospital building that does not meet the State seismic standards and is too small to meet the needs of the community. Some of the services will be moved into either the Pavilion or the new building include: operating rooms, catherization labs, labor and delivery, intensive care units for high risk infants, and other important services such as imaging, pharmacy, clinical laboratory, physical therapy and occupational therapy.
Allow the Hospital to Be Here for the Community in the Event of a Public Health Emergency or Natural Disaster: Locally accessible facilities will remain available to our community in the case of a pandemic or earthquake.
Ensure Local Access to High Quality Health Care Services: Ensure patients utilizing our emergency department, critical care and medical/surgical units have quick and easy access to lifesaving operating and catherization rooms and other needed services. It is important that the members of our community have access to a full range of services locally when they need it most.
Support Washington Hospital Becoming a Designated Trauma Center: There is no Trauma Center in Southern Alameda County. The Hospital is in the process of qualifying as a designated trauma center. By building a seismically safe building for needed services and expanding our surgical suites and catherization labs, the Hospital will be better prepared to meet the needs of the community as a Trauma Center, which provides the highest level of emergency health care to patients.
Ensure Proper Controls Are in Place: Ensure that every penny of Measure XX stays in our community to benefit local residents. This Measure will cost the typical homeowner in the District about $50 per year. No funds can be taken away by the State or be used for other purposes like administrators’ salaries. An independent Bond Oversight Committee will be created in order to ensure every dollar is spent as intended by the voters.