Saturday, May. 17, 2008

Turlock hospital plans big office addition

Multistory, 44,800-square-foot building would house offices

TURLOCK -- Emanuel Medical Center is developing plans for a multistory building to house administration and business operations.

Representatives have talked with Turlock city officials about building a four-story, 44,800-square-foot structure at the Emanuel campus on Delbon Avenue.

Some departments in the hospital -- administration, a purchasing and supply operation, education, and accounting -- would move to the new building, said Emanuel spokesman John Gilbert. The new building also would have conference rooms for health education classes.

That would make room in the hospital for expanding clinical areas for patients, though the hospital would not add patient beds. The administrative areas would be remodeled to accommodate a larger laboratory and pharmacy, as well as new quarters for the pediatric unit. Other areas would be remodeled for an imaging center and the cardiology department.

Emanuel officials have not decided on the size of the new building. It could be a two-story to four-story structure.

"It is going to be based on need," Gilbert said. "We may shell in some space if we build the bigger building."

Emanuel has been expanding its facilities to meet the medical needs of a Turlock area population that grew rapidly until the recent housing slump.

In January 2007, it opened a three-story, 66,000-square-foot critical care center featuring a new emergency department and intensive care facilities. The 221-bed hospital also joined forces with Stanford University to build a cancer treatment center, which began serving patients last year.

Emanuel is developing another project even though it expects to lose some patients when Kaiser Permanente opens its north Modesto hospital in October. Emanuel has a contract to serve Kaiser patients living in Stanislaus County.

Gilbert said Emanuel has needed a larger laboratory and pharmacy for some time. After the Kaiser hospital is in operation, Emanuel still will have a contract with Kaiser and has contracts with other insurance carriers, Medicare and Medi-Cal.

"We continue to see increases in volume from (non-Kaiser patients)," Gilbert said. "We have to respond to the growing community."

Emanuel hopes to start construction on the administration building in early 2009 and have it finished within a year. A cost estimate wasn't available. The project would be financed through tax-exempt bonds and hospital revenue.

The project may need only city staff approval, as opposed to going to the planning commission and City Council, if the project is consistent with the approved master plan.

Katie Melson, an assistant planner for the city, said it will need to meet development standards for parking and building elevations.

"If it is outside the scope of what was approved (in 1994), they would have to amend the development plan," she said. "From what we have seen, it should fall within what was previously approved."

Gilbert said the hospital is adding parking spaces and is waiting to see whether the city will require more.

"We have enough open ground if we need to establish more parking," he said.

Bee staff writer Ken Carlson can be reached at kcarlson@modbee.com or 578-2321.