FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/02/2023
For more information, contact Chelssa Ouland

75 Years in the Making: Our New Seneca Hospital Is Designed to Meet the Needs of Our  Community Now and Into the Future. 

Chester Ca – Seneca Hospital has a 75-year history as being a rural community hospital. Seneca Healthcare District was formed in 1947 as an independent special district to meet the needs of our rural community. The hospital opened its doors to patients in 1954. The Skilled Nursing Facility admitted the first patient in 1976. The hospital-based rural health clinic was built in 1996.

ER Waiting Room Rendering of the New Hospital
    Waiting Room in the Emergency Department.

0ver the last 70 years, the delivery of healthcare has changed dramatically. Changes to healthcare today include requiring more room for patients, additional space and electrical needs for medical equipment and technology needs, and supplies. There are also additional regulations, such as seismic requirements, energy efficiency, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and

more.

Seneca Hospital is northwestern Plumas County’s ONLY Healthcare Facility (Communities of Lake Almanor Basin)

  • The facility does not comply with SB 1953 Seismic Requirements
  • Retrofitting the existing building is not an option.
  • There is no central air conditioning
  • There are no Negative Pressure Rooms that are needed to effectively isolate patients with COVID and other airborne diseases.
  • Our out-of-date HVAC, Medical Gas Systems, Medical Air, and Surgery Air Circulation (Circa 1983) do not provide for optimal working conditions.
  • The out-of-date Nurse Call System does not allow for upgrades. (Circa 1970)
  • The Fire Alarm System – Life Safety (Circa 1965) needs updates.
  • There are no bulk oxygen/nitrous systems for the Operation Room (Circa 1963).
  • There is no Central Utilities Plant.
  • The existing hospital building has a poor design that creates a lack of space, storage, electrical power, and more.
  • Many areas are Non-ADA Compliant
  • There is no Space for a Centralized Data Center (servers, switches, backup, cooling).
  • The kitchen which is crucial to daily operations is out of date and limited in space. (Circa 1983)
  • There is no Controlled Building Access.

With the leadership and guidance of CEO, Shawn McKenzie and the Seneca Healthcare District Healthcare Board of Directors.  The construction of our new Seneca Hospital is anticipated to begin soon. This hospital is a combination of team planning efforts, research, and employee/community input over the last several years. A replacement hospital is necessary to meet the community’s need for comprehensive, state-of-the-art healthcare, to best serve the District residents for generations to come.

The goal for the new Seneca Hospital is to provide a facility that supports our staff so they can care for patients in an environment that is purposefully built to maximize their talent, time, and workflow. The inpatient rooms will have increased privacy and space for family members to stay overnight when conditions allow. There will also be a separate, private corridor for the movement of staff, supplies, and patients.

The new hospital will have an expanded emergency department (ED) to allow for increased capacity and include a trauma bay. It is intended to facilitate in improving the patient experience, increase surgical capacity, and improve access to ancillary services, such as lab and imaging.

As we continue moving forward with our new community hospital, please watch for updates in the weeks to come.

* Renderings for conceptual purposes

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