A new law will allow Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento, Calif., to operate until Sept. 1, 2015 without meeting state earthquake safety rules, according to an article in the Sacramento Business Journal.
The hospital is one of five granted the reprieve. These hospitals were supposed to close or retrofit to meet earthquake safety standards by Jan. 1, 2015, but had urgent needs for a little more time, the article said.
Sutter Memorial had a big water leak in February at the eight-story Women’s and Children’s Center under construction. The clean-up and repair effort cost $8 million — and caused a four-month delay in the project.
Other hospitals granted a nine-month reprieve include Regional Medical Center of San Jose, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, Santa Ynez Cottage Hospital and Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City.