Kaiser to open San Leandro hospital

SAN LEANDRO -- When Kaiser Permanente opens its new hospital on Tuesday, visitors will find a six-story building filled with work by local artists, natural-light-filled rooms and the latest medical technology.

The nonprofit health care provider is shutting down its Hayward hospital, which did not meet new state seismic safety standards, and moving its inpatient care and emergency room to a campus west of Interstate 880 near Marina Boulevard that at one time housed a grocery distribution center.

"We strove for a relaxing, comforting setting, with a site that is convenient and accessible," said Kaiser official Tom Hanenburg.

The new 435,900-square-foot hospital is designed to accommodate more patients later if needed. The top floor is vacant, and the 216-bed hospital has the capacity for 264.

All patient rooms are private, with pullout guest beds for family members. Patients are no longer just separated by a curtain in the emergency room, which has 40 individual treatment rooms.

Rooms throughout the building are larger than in the existing Hayward hospital and can accommodate several pieces of equipment and workers at the same time. Built-in automatic lifts help people in and out of beds to reduce worker injuries and increase patient safety.

Dr. Robert Greenberg showed off some of the hospital's tech features on Thursday. At the patient entrance near the emergency room, visitors can find directions to the department they're looking for on an interactive touch screen. In addition to a map, the screen has a QR code that gives them access to directions they can carry on their smartphones.

"It's technology that is patient-friendly," said Greenberg, the physician-in-chief for Kaiser Permanente Southern Alameda County.

When patients are checked in, they are given keyboards that control large, flat panels. They can choose their meals, check messages, see what tests they will be getting, access health information and view TV shows or movies.

"This has more stations than I get on my TV at home," Greenberg said.

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Kaiser to open San Leandro hospital