Hospitals changing to meet codes

Some local hospitals are breathing a sigh of relief this week, following an announcement that Gov. Schwarzenegger will extend a deadline for the installation of earthquake reinforcements for some hospitals through 2013.

The regulations, passed after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, are aimed at ensuring California hospitals will remain operational in the event of a cataclysmic earthquake, though some have faced problems meeting the deadline.

“I’m happy this went through, because it gives the hospital a chance to take a breath,” said Gary Call, the engineering director at College Hospital Costa Mesa.

“I’d hate to see any hospitals closed.”

Call said many small-budget hospitals faced significant difficulties in trying to meet the state’s deadline without closing altogether; he added, however, that the deadline will make it possible for College Hospital to meet the regulation.

Currently, the hospital is drafting plans to be approved by the state, he said.

“We’ve submitted plans to the state for emergency lighting, power and advanced anchorage for the state of California,” he said.

On the other side of Newport-Mesa, the much larger Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach will spend more than $1.7 billion to bring its hospital up to code, said Langston Trigg, vice president for facilities, design and construction.

“Hospital construction costs have gone through the roof because of cost escalation, bonds and insurance costs and because of things like Katrina,” Trigg said, adding that renovations can be anywhere from $800 to 1,200 per square foot.

Hoag engineers will have to take special care to ensure that its tall buildings are adequately anchored to prevent swaying and other potential hazards, he added.

“We’ll beef up the structure, build better wall, and put base isolators to isolate the building from ground motion,” he said.

“That way, less shaking is transferred from the ground to the building, and we’re going to have that on all three of our buildings.”

Both hospitals are projected to be compliant with Sacramento’s regulations by 2013.

CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at chris.caesar@latimes.com.