Stanford Health Care Seeks Palo Alto Approval for 70 Additional Hospital Beds

Stanford Health Care is asking the city of Palo Alto for permission to add 70 more beds to its hospital facilities, increasing the total to 670. The request comes in response to a surge in emergency room visits, according to an application submitted last month.

This proposal is part of ongoing growth at Stanford’s hospitals, which began with a major expansion agreement in 2011 called Project Renewal. The $5 billion project, approved after years of negotiations, included a new hospital, updates to the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, and renovations across its facilities.

In 2019, Stanford opened a new 824,000-square-foot hospital featuring 368 private rooms, 20 operating rooms, a trauma center, gardens, and a meditation room. The following year, it began upgrading its older hospital buildings, adding seismic safety improvements, more post-surgery bays, nursing tower renovations, and an inpatient psychiatric unit.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically increased emergency care needs. Admissions through the Emergency Department now account for more than 60% of hospital admissions, compared to 47% before. This surge has forced Stanford to reopen some decommissioned spaces and beds that were originally converted to private rooms during renovations.

Emergency room visits have risen significantly, from about 48,000 in 2009 to over 75,000 in 2023. Factors driving this increase include the closure or downgrading of other hospitals in the region, staffing shortages, and a lack of follow-up care facilities in the Bay Area, leading to longer hospital stays.

To meet demand, Stanford has been using state waivers to temporarily increase capacity. Now, the hospital is seeking city approval to make this arrangement permanent by converting some private rooms into shared spaces.

Stanford’s land use director, Molly Swenson, explained that adding beds will ensure the hospital can maintain its current level of care while also preparing for state-mandated seismic safety upgrades required by 2030. The hospital is also expanding outpatient services and working with community hospitals to manage patient loads.