Why does Sacred Heart need a new hospital?
According to the Health Care Advisory Board, a health care industry research organization, demand for hospital beds nationally will increase by 40 percent by the year 2010. This demand is driven by a number of factors including population growth and aging, less restrictive insurance policies, consumer expectations, and new therapies and technologies. Sacred Hearts experience mirrors these trends using moderate growth estimates and recent historical trends for Lane County and our referral area. Despite the increased demand, growth of hospital facilities has remained stagnant for two decades. Sacred Hearts University District campus is landlocked and bursting at its seams, and many of its buildings are outdated and out of compliance with current standards. Changes in technology and in methods of care are rapidly changing, requiring a different and more flexible configuration of space.