Report: Proposed Sutter hospital meets county's health terms

<p>Sutter Medical Center's plan for an 82-bed hospital north of Santa Rosa meets the requirements of its health services contract with Sonoma County, a report by county health officials said Friday.</p><p>The 58-page draft report released Friday afternoon concluded that Sutter's proposed $284 million hospital would provide “equal or better” access to health services and quality of services, compared with the existing hospital on Chanate Road.</p><p>The county's positive report could be a breakthrough for Sutter, which has been pushing for new hospital construction for the past six years. If the plan is approved this summer by the Board of Supervisors, officials hope to begin construction by October.</p><p>Sutter Health, a Sacramento-based nonprofit health care company, took over operation of county-owned Community Hospital in 1996 and is required to provide public medical services through 2016.</p><p>Sutter is specifically obligated to provide care to low-income residents on Medi-Cal, Medicare and other government programs.</p><p>But the aging, earthquake-vulnerable hospital on Chanate Road must be upgraded or replaced to meet state seismic safety standard.</p><p>The report was issued by the county Department of Health Services, but neither Health Services Director Rita Scardaci nor Dr. Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, county public health officer, could be reached for comment Friday.</p><p>Scardaci said in a written statement that the county had earlier “expressed concerns” that Sutter's previous plan for a 70-bed public hospital adjacent to a 28-bed physician-owned hospital had too few beds dedicated to public health services.</p><p>About two weeks ago, Sutter revised that plan, dropping the physician-owned facility and boosting the public hospital's capacity.</p><p>The new plan for the site off Highway 101 on Mark West Springs Road calls for 82 licensed hospital beds, 10 labor and delivery rooms and 24 universal care units, which can accommodate patients staying less than 24 hours.</p><p>It also provides for a 27-bed expansion.</p><p>The report said Sutter's revised plan “would assure the availability of important medical services to county residents for decades to come.”</p><p>“We are pleased that county staff have found our plan capable of meeting the (county contract) requirements,” Sutter spokeswoman Lisa Amador said.</p><p>County Supervisor Efren Carrillo said Friday he had not analyzed the report, but noted that it found Sutter's plan would comply with the medical services agreement.</p><p>Carrillo said he had concerns about “the potential shortage of beds” in Sutter's previous plan.</p><p>The draft plan available online at www.sonoma-county.org/health is now open to public comment.</p><p>County health officials will meet with health care stakeholders to assess the report on July 15. Two sessions, open to the public, will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the North Coast Builders Exchange, 1030 Apollo Way, Santa Rosa.</p><p>Public comments will be included in a final report to be submitted to the Board of Supervisors in August.</p><p>Amador said that Sutter hopes to win board approval this summer, to break ground on the new hospital in October and open the facility in 2014.</p>