When Southern California's "big one" hits, the hardest hit areas will lean heaviest on healthcare facilities. Currently one third of hospitals in the area are rated as at risk of collapse on the state's seismic readiness scale, according to an article on the Health Leader Media website.
The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development rates medical buildings for seismic safety risk on a scale from 1 to 5. There are nearly 1,100 hospital buildings throughout Southern California, Of those, 376 were rated as a 1 or a 2.
Most of the buildings with a rating of 3, 4 or 5 won't need to make any changes to meet requirements.
But, those buildings with a 1 rating have only until next year to make changes. Those with a 2 rating have until 2030.
Cathryn Jakicic is healthcare industries editor of FacilitiesNet.com. For more information on hospital campuses and other medical facilities, check out the FacilitiesNet healthcare page.
