California Senate Bill (SB1953) was enacted in the wake of the Northridge earthquake of 1994 to increase the resilience of hospitals to withstand future seismic events.  SB 1953 was designed to increase the resilience of CA hospitals to ensure life safety over the near term (deadline was originally 2008, later extended to 2020) and resilient operations over the longer term (deadline: 2030).   The 2020 standards are designed to ensure that buildings will not collapse in an earthquake.  The 2030 standards are designed to ensure that operations can continue as usual after a seismic event.  As a part of the 2014 Joint Powers Agreement between AHS and the City of Alameda Health Care District, AHS completed the 2020 seismic retrofit requirements.  

In 2023 the City of Alameda Health Care District completed plans for a $55 million project which will provide for structural and non-structural compliance with the 2030 seismic standards in all Alameda Hospital buildings that support acute care services.  The project also will allow for the addition of an 18-bed short-stay skilled nursing unit at Alameda Hospital to which patients can be transferred following acute care.  It will also provide more capacity for acute patient admissions at Alameda Hospital. 

The planning and approval for the seismic upgrade plans are overseen by the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI), formerly known as the Office of Statewide Health Care Planning (OSHPD).  For more information about SB 1953 and seismic compliance go to hcai.gov.ca, Seismic Compliance and Safety.

The seismic upgrade and addition of the short-stay skilled nursing facility is being financed by the health care District by the issuance of Certificates of Participation (COP’s).  See below for details about the financing.