OCEANSIDE — Tri City Medical Center took a big step forward in its goal to redevelop its campus. The board of directors approved hiring an architect to design a new emergency department, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, obstetrics department, and parking structure Feb. 5.
The green light was given to move forward with campus-wide redevelopment plans in late January. Board Chairman Larry Schallock said phase I redevelopment would focused on improving some of the most critical areas of the medial center.
Medical center CEO Tim Moran said emergency department improvements and ample parking for elderly, handicapped and staff are on the top of the list.
“We have the third busiest emergency room in the county with over 75,000 people a year coming through our ED,” Moran said. “We want a modern state of the art design that allows us to take care of those patients in a dignified manner and timeliness of care directed to the specific needs of those patients.”
Seismic compliance requirements that must be met by 2030 will also be addressed in the first phase of redevelopment.
The end goal is to enhance service to patients. Moran said phase I improvements would yield greater patient privacy, comfort, and easier access to the medical center.
He added the medical center would use a comprehensive approach as it moves forward with redevelopment plans.
“Our work with the architect will determine what will be needed in order to do that as well as to get ahead of any additional regulatory requirements that may be necessary in the future to better serve the needs of our community,” Moran said.
Medical center staff said the search to hire a project architect has begun. Once an architect is on board there will be more news to share on phase I timeline, cost and funding.
