CA hospitals risk earthquake damage

Now here's a scary statistic: As many as half of California hospital facilities are at risk for earthquake damage--or even collapse--and won't meet state construction requirements, due largely to continuing economic issues, according to a new brief from the California HealthCare Foundation.

At-risk hospitals were required by a 1994 state law to retrofit or rebuild to meet construction specs--by as early as 2013--or risk being closed. While hospitals have made some progress, in part because the state has simplified the construction review and approval process, and partly thanks to the use of new, efficient retrofitting technologies, many vulnerable buildings still haven't completed their upgrades, the foundation said.

The foundation is recommending that state policymakers consider options like offering financing to facilities with the worst financial problems, offering case-by-case assessments including funding, incentives and waives and reassessing the needs for some acute-care infrastructure.

To learn more about this issue:
- read this Modern Healthcare article (reg. req.)

Related Article:
Many Los Angeles hospitals in financial trouble

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