Citing financial constraints, Oak Valley Hospital officials asked the City of Oakdale to amend a 2004 development plan that called for the hospital to demolish its old, and existing, facility when it opened up its new hospital this summer.
The original plan, adopted by the city on April 19, 2004, allowed for the construction of a new 64,850 square-foot two-story facility adding 23 additional new beds to the current 35-bed hospital and a 9400 square-foot utility plant. Oak Valley officials stated they would demolish the existing hospital building once the new hospital was occupied.
Now, since plans are to only occupy the first floor, Oak Valley officials are asking to keep both buildings open and complete the project in two phases.
The first phase is to have some services radiology, lab, surgery, and emergency room transferred to the first floor of the new building. Inpatient services and the pharmacy will remain at the old building. There will be no additional hospital beds added and no new staff members as part of Phase One.
The plan for Phase Two is uncertain as funding sources are still unknown on when to complete that project. Until then, the second floor will be shelled until funding becomes available. Oak Valley Hospital Chief Executive Officer John McCormick stated approximately $15 million is still needed to move the inpatient rooms to the new building. Lana Casey, treasurer of the Oak Valley Foundation, said that by not moving into the second floor, over $869,000 in pledged funds have to remain in a restricted account and not given to the hospital. The pledged funds were specifically for “naming rights” of certain areas, mostly to inpatient rooms as an honorarium to family members and friends of the donors.
Oak Valley officials do not believe the facility’s parking situation will be affected by the joint-occupation. The original plan called for 353 parking spaces but without demolishing the old building, only 264 spaces will exist with some modifications to the current property.
The Oakdale Planning Commission approved the modification on June 6 and the city council passed the amendment 4-0 at its recent council meeting.
