The first phase of the emergency department expansion project is complete!

Reported by Connie Senner, director of design and construction

We’ve officially wrapped up the first phase of the emergency department expansion project! The temporary triage space is complete and opened to the public on Sunday, September 14. Construction has started on the first-floor triage phase II portion of the project, which will be the permanent home for ED triage. We expect this construction to be completed around April 2026, providing four fully equipped triage bays for patient assessment. This project also creates a new, updated look at the front door of the ED with an expanded reception desk. The second floor of the ED expansion is also moving along. We received approval and permits from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information and began the buildout in September. 

Central Tower Project

We’re making steady progress on the Central Tower seismic compliance project. Our team is working closely with the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) as we continue developing the construction documents. The meetings with the seismic compliance unit in Sacramento have been productive, and we’re seeing positive momentum. We’ve gone through many exercises to prove our seismic design for compliance meets the HCAI’s standards and our current state matches the original construction documents from 1968. This has included scanning existing structures and even chipping away existing concrete to check its strength and confirm the rebar placement. To take it a step further, we’re building a mockup of the Central Tower’s columns and beams for additional testing, inspection and approval.