New Draft Hospital and Clinic Plans Unveiled at a Meeting in Garberville Last Night

Last night, on Wednesday, December 6, about 50 community and hospital staff members met at the Sprowel Creek Campus adjacent to the Garberville Pharmacy and watched as Ratcliff Architects and SoHum Health presented updates on the construction of a new hospital and clinic. The gathering provided an opportunity for the community to review draft plans of the ambitious project, aimed at enhancing healthcare services in Southern Humboldt.

Driving the need for a new facility stems from the fact that the current Jerold Phelps Community Hospital will not meet seismic requirements by 2030.

The vision involves relocating the existing emergency and acute care departments into a new hospital building on the Sprowel Creek campus. This move is considered essential to meet licensing requirements and bring needed medical resources to Southern Humboldt. The new facility, which will be located at 286 Sprowel Creek Road at the former Garberville school site, is set to open in 2029.

Meanwhile, the current building housing Jerold Phelps Community Hospital and SoHum Community Clinic will continue to serve the community. Plans are in place to expand the skilled nursing unit, adding more beds for residential care. The remainder of the building will be repurposed for offices, storage, and other needs as they arise.

Doug Strout of Ratcliff Architects explained to the gathering which was held where part of the new hospital would be, “We want to maintain this building, the [Redwood] Playhouse, and the old schoolhouse portion.” Strout emphasized, “This is a community asset, a community resource. And we’re going to continue to maintain that as part of the property.”

They are striving to build efficiency with the new design, he said. At one point he told those gathered, “We came up with a design where the staff enters exam rooms on one side, and the patient enters from the other. There’s a lot of efficiency in doing it that way.”

The meeting also addressed concerns about local employment opportunities during the construction phase. One audience member inquired about the possibility of prioritizing local contractors. Strout responded, acknowledging the challenges. This is a multi-million dollar project that not many local contractors would be able to have the appropriate money for bonds, etc. In response, some  audience members noted that housing for out-of-town workers could be challenging and more costly, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach.

The meeting marked a step forward in the future of healthcare services in Garberville and surrounding areas, with the new hospital and clinic poised to bring new and needed medical facilities to Southern Humboldt.

Please note this reporter’s husband is on the hospital board.

Earlier: Cheers to a Successful Fundraiser at Benbow Inn: Wine Tasting Event Raises $121,445 for Southern Humboldt Hospital!