Medical Center presents building plan
BY ROSANNE SPECTOR
To meet state seismic standards, community needs and advances in modern medicine, the Medical Center is proposing a major building project on its land in Palo Alto. Medical Center leaders presented the preliminary plan Nov. 20 at a Palo Alto City Council study session.
The plan was prompted, in part, by the requirement that Stanford Hospital, which houses the Peninsula's only Level-1 trauma center, comply with state-mandated seismic safety laws. The proposed changes also arise from the need to create a center for medical education, research and patient care that will keep up with the substantial advances in medicine and increased community demand.
The study session starts a process that is likely to take several years, as the city considers the specifics of the proposal. Construction of the facilities would extend into the next decade. The immediate next steps include an application for rezoning of the land, the completion of an environmental impact report and extensive public review.
Martha Marsh, CEO of Stanford Hospital and Clinics; Christopher Dawes, CEO of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; and Philip Pizzo, dean of the School of Medicine, presented the plan to the council.
"Our ability to offer quality patient health care, increase patient privacy and improve emergency room services is dependent on seismically safe, modern facilities," Marsh said. "We are seeking city and community input as part of a planning process to design and build seismically safe, modern facilities to continue to serve the health-care needs of Palo Alto and the community."