SF Opens CA's first Green Certified Hospital
(June 26, 2010)
Mayor Gavin Newsom today opened San Francisco's new 780-resident Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, the first hospital in California to be green-certified. As a rehabilitation center in addition to a skilled nursing facility and acute care hospital, Laguna Honda provides occupational, physical and speech therapy for people living with the effects of stroke, traumatic brain injury, neurological disorders, chronic illnesses and other disabilities.
The hospital's three new buildings address environmental impacts in their design, construction and operation across six LEED-designated categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. On June 18, the new Laguna Honda received silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
"The new hospital represents a continued commitment to long term care and rehabilitation for our incredibly diverse city," said Mayor Newsom. "With the new green design, we can also ensure that hospital recovery not only includes medical care, but a healthier environment."
"Laguna Honda is reinventing itself," said Mitchell H. Katz, M.D., Director of Health. "The new campus gives San Francisco a center for long term care in a sustainable, community-oriented environment."
"Our new buildings encourage holistic approaches," said Mivic Hirose, Laguna Honda Executive Administrator. "We're putting San Francisco on the map as an innovator in long term care and rehabilitation."
The new Laguna Honda was funded by $323 million in general obligation bonds and interest, $141 million in revenues from the settlement of city consumer protection lawsuits brought against the tobacco companies, and $120 million in certificates of participation, a form of security.
Among Laguna Honda's unique services are its restorative care program, named a 2008 Best Practice by the California Hospital Association; its Spanish and Chinese language communities, the only HIV/AIDS skilled nursing program in the San Francisco Bay Area; and a nationally recognized program for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias.