Background:

For over 100 years, the Ventura County Medical Center has provided medical services to the residents of Ventura County on the 43 acre VCMC Campus, located in the City of Ventura.  VCMC is a major employer and has provided training for many of the nurses, radiology technicians, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and doctors that currently provide medical care throughout the County of Ventura.  VCMC is a long standing fixture in this community with many benefits accruing to the local economy and Ventura County residents as a whole.

• In January 1994, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the VCMC Consolidation Project, including the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).  The Environmental Impact Report was approved after an 18 month environmental documentation process beginning in June of 1992.
  
  
• The Consolidation Project replaces and upgrades facilities on the VCMC Campus to ensure the continuation of the delivery of quality public health care services to the residents of Ventura County.
  
  
• This long term Consolidation Project included several elements already completed, such as, the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, Medical Examiner’s Office, Hospital Emergency Generator Building, Hospital Laboratory, Dietary Services and Cafeteria Building.  The remaining elements are the Replacement Clinic and the Parking Structure.

Replacement Clinic Approval and Construction:

• In May of 2005 the Health Care Agency re-announced efforts to start the construction on Replacement Clinic.  On May 14, 2005 the Ventura County Star published a front page article titled: “County reveals plan for five-story clinic at Medical Center”, including an artist’s rendering.  (see article)

Immediately thereafter, on May 24, 2005, at a published Board Meeting, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the construction of the Replacement Clinic and the amended EIR. (see Board Item)

• It is important to note that the maximum height of the clinic structure, based on a formal survey conducted, which includes the utility corridor, is actually six feet lower than the flag on top of the drill rig. In total, the top is nearly 26 feet lower than some had originally thought, in that it was reported to be 20 ft higher than the top of the flag pole.  To reiterate, the clinic is 5 stories or 70' above the finish floor of the first floor.  There are some roof structures for utilities on top of the building that add another 20' on some portions of the roof.  We now know that the top of the fifth floor ceiling is more than 26' BELOW the top of the flag pole and the maximum height of any roof structure is more than 6' BELOW the top of the flag pole.
  
  
• The original site was approximately 145 feet from the Agnus Dr. residences.  It is now approximately 340 feet from Agnus Dr. residences or 195 feet further.  Again, this reduces the massing size of the building to the residents on Agnus and is at a lower elevation of approximately 5 ft. (see site view with location of original Replacement Clinic and new siting. "Blue Building indicates new site")
  
  
• The Replacement Clinic will not operate 24 hours per day and it will not have a helicopter pad.
  
  
• On August 7, 2007, the VCMC Replacement Clinic was again presented to the Board of Supervisors for approval of financing and construction contract award authorization for the Public Works Agency. (see Board Item)
  
  
• On November 30, 2007, the Notice of Award was issued to the contractor for the Replacement Clinic building construction.  Actual construction started on January 3, 2008 and is scheduled to be completed in June of 2010.  The 73,000 square foot building will be five stories high (70 feet high with an additional 20ft of utility corridor on some portion of the building) and located in the center of the VCMC campus.
  

What specific services will be provided in this Replacement Clinic?
The Replacement Clinic will consolidate and integrate VCMC’s existing Resident Teaching Clinic and several specialty care clinics.  In addition, it will house the VCMC Family Medicine Residency Program administrative offices

• 1st floor: Family Medicine Residency Program Faculty and Resident Offices - This program is the oldest and the largest Family Medicine Residency Program in the State of California.  For the past ten years, the Residency Administrative Offices and patient care clinic have been housed in a temporary and portable trailer on the VCMC campus.  In addition, there will be a walk-in Urgent Care Clinic located on the first floor.
  
  
• 2nd Floor: The Family Care Clinic – This clinic is the Family Medicine Residency Program’s Continuing Care Clinic.  Citizens of Ventura County receive expert outpatient primary care in this teaching environment from our Family Medicine Residents and Faculty.
  
  
• 3rd Floor: Pediatric Diagnostic Center and Clinic – Primary care services with Pediatricians experienced in well child exams and those of chronically ill children.  This clinic will include pediatric subspecialty services provided by Faculty from UCLA and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  These pediatric specialists provide services in cardiology, endocrinology, diabetes, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine, allergy and immunology, oncology and hematology.  This clinic makes it possible for families with children needing life-saving pediatric medical care including cancer treatment to be seen here in Ventura, rather than driving to Los Angeles.
  
  
• 4th Floor: Women’s Health Center and General Surgery Services – The Women’s Health Center provides office based care in Obstetrics and Gynecology.  Diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound, non-stress prenatal testing and colposcopy are performed in this clinic.  Surgery Clinic will include General Surgery, ENT, Urology and Plastic Surgery services. In addition, families will be able to access Pediatric General Surgery care, a very rare surgical specialty.
  
  
• 5th Floor: Internal Medicine Specialty Clinics – These services include continuing care with Internal Specialists as well as the subspecialties of Cardiology, Pulmonary Medicine, Endocrinology, Neurology, Rheumatology, Nephrology, Oncology and Gastroenterology.

Project Approval Process and Historical Time Line:

• On January 4, 1994, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the VCMC Consolidation Project.  This EIR was preceded by several notices to the public, including all the required public comment periods prior to approval per the CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act).  The Environmental Impact Report was approved after an 18 month environmental documentation process beginning in June of 1992.
  
• Numerous notified hearings, in which the VCMC Consolidation Project was returned to the Board for review and modifications, and included further public discussion, occurred on:
  
  
  • March 1, 1994: Parking structure siting modification;
    
  • April 18, 1995: Relocation of Emergency Generator System;
    
  • March 13, 2001: Project component modifications on VCMC Medical Laboratory and Kitchen;
    
  • May 24, 2005: Consolidation Project modified for siting of replacement clinic and parking structure, and demolition;
    
  • August 7, 2007: VCMC Consolidation Project again presented to the Board of Supervisors for approval of the financing and construction contract award authorization for the Public Works Agency.
    
    
• Additionally, a cover story in the Ventura County Star on May 14, 2005 titled: “County reveals plan for five-story clinic at Medical Center”, including the artist’s rendering, appeared laying out the square footage (73,000 square feet) and the clinics and services that would be located in the new facility.
  
  
• A 1996-1997 Grand Jury Report had a comprehensive review of the VCMC Consolidation Project.  Among their recommendations, the Grand Jury reported that, “The Board of Supervisors should urgently pursue correction of the facility problems that imperil operation of the county hospital…and should consider replacing the Bard Building, consolidating and modernizing the ambulatory and specialty clinics, and building a parking structure...”
  
  
• On November 30, 2007, the Notice of Award was issued to the contractor for the Replacement Clinic building construction.  Actual construction started on January 3, 2008 and is scheduled to be completed in June of 2010.  The 73,000 square foot building will be five stories high and located in the center of the VCMC campus.
  
  
• On Wednesday, May 28th, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm, and again on Thursday, May 29th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the Health Care Agency hosted informational meetings to update the neighbors surrounding the hospital on the construction project’s progress.  The Health Care Agency will continue to keep the neighbors informed on campus construction activities. 
  

Contact Information:

Replacement Clinic Project Director
Grant Fulgham, Public Works Agency
805-643-0446

HCA Director
Michael Powers, Health Care Agency
805-677-5110

HCA Deputy Director/Ambulatory Care Administrator
Joan Araujo, Health Care Agency
805-677-5272

HCA Deputy Director/Hospital Administrator
Paul Lorenz, Health Care Agency
805-652-6058

HCA Public Information Officer
Sheila Murphy, Health Care Agency
805-677-5274