McKinley East Sacramento Neighborhood Association (MENA)

Mercy Hospital Neighborhood Update

Mar 15, 2004

Mercy General Hospital wants to construct a new medical facility specializing in cardiac care. If built, the structure will be named the Alex G. Spanos Heart Center (he is the owner of the San Diego Chargers professional football team who had successful cardiac surgery at Mercy and has made a multimillion dollar pledge towards the building). While nothing formal has been submitted yet, the hospital?’s conceptual plan has been discussed by neighbors in various community forums sponsored by the hospital as well as covered by the local media.



In October last year a working group was convened consisting of stakeholders representing various organizations that had expressed interest about Mercy?’s building plans. That body, formally identified as the Mercy General Hospital Construction and Renovation Task Force, has met on four occasions and MENA board members Rian Troth and Howard Schmidt serve on it. Other task force member organizations include the local chamber of commerce, residents living on 39th Street across from the hospital, Sacred Heart Parish School, employees of the hospital, Mercy?’s Community Council and Foundation, city officials and a preservation group to name a few.



To date the task force has reviewed parking data, preliminary traffic counts and conceptual design drawings. In addition, Mercy created a Neighborhood Advisory Committee open to residents for the purpose of aiding in communication about the hospital?’s proposed cardiac or heart center project. Sandra Meyers, Mercy?’s neighborhood liaison, sees that committee also serving as a vehicle to address existing and future neighborhood concerns unrelated to the heart center (at one meeting problems associated with trash pick-up were identified). Neighbors interested about the committee can contact Meyers at 453-4432.



When Mercy?’s interest in building the heart center first surfaced, among the things being considered by the hospital included obtaining Sacred Heart Parish School property, tearing down some old homes around 39th Street and relocating the school. None of those items are on the table anymore. The school is not moving and the hospital says no homes are being target for demolition.

Any construction plans by Mercy will require city approval, which involves extensive reviews and public hearings and MENA will be notified about those developments. The task force and the neighborhood advisory committee are voluntary measures sponsored by Mercy that your MENA Board agreed to participate in so as to learn first hand about Mercy?’s plans.