Swedish Medical Submits for $197M Hospital

SEATTLE-Swedish Medical Center on Monday submitted a formal Certificate of Need application to the Washington State Department of Health for a new $197-million hospital in Issaquah. The Department of Health officials likely will begin review of the CON application this summer. The approval process could take up to two years. Swedish has signed options to purchase one of two possible Issaquah sites for the new hospital. The preferred parcel is a 15-acre lot located in the Issaquah Highlands on the east side of Highland Drive that is owned by Port Blakely. A strong alternative is the 30-acre Issaquah Gateway parcel at the northeast corner of SE Newport Way, north of Oakcrest Drive, which is owned by a local family. Swedish representatives also are talking with City of Issaquah officials about other possible sites that may become available in the near term. Ten acres of the final site would be allocated to the 175-bed hospital, to be built in stages. Space for 80 acute-care beds would open in January 2009, 40 more would be added in 2012, with the final 55 coming online in 2016. In the meantime, Swedish has negotiated a 20-year lease for a 55,000-sf building at 2005 NW Sammamish Rd. along the I-90 Corridor in Issaquah that it will convert into a freestanding emergency room, imaging center with second-story office and lab space. The plan is for Swedish to take control of the property in September and open the facility in February 2005. Swedish VP Kevin Brown tells GlobeSt.com that Swedish expects to spend about $18 million to build-out the space. Swedish says that more than 12% of Eastsiders requiring medical care now travel to its hospitals in Seattle. “It would be much more convenient for them–-and others-–to be treated closer to home,” says Brown. “In addition, Swedish already operates two primary-care clinics and a number of specialty clinics at Eastside locations, including Bellevue/Crossroads, Factoria and Pine Lake.”