The development and implementation of seismic regulation compliance strategies (aka SB1953 compliance) creates a tremendous burden on California healthcare providers. Certus regularly works with OSHPD staff to better understand the development and interpretation of regulations and forthcoming legislation. Certus is also represented at Hospital Building Safety Board meetings. We develop accurate and successful seismic regulation compliance strategies and collaborate with architects and contractors to establish cost effective, minimally disruptive action plans, while maintaining objective oversight on behalf of the healthcare provider.

 

Medical Center Site Plan
Regulation Strategies

Certus Consulting provides structural engineering evaluations and seismic risk assessment for general acute care hospitals, medical offices and support buildings. Our principals have over twenty-five years experience in healthcare, with expert knowledge of California building codes and specific OSHPD regulations. We are members of building regulation committees that develop the codes and standards for the design of sophisticated structural systems. We leverage this knowledge to provide unique conceptual asset maintenance and retrofit strategies. We strive to provide the best solution for our clients in context of the complex challenges posed by California healthcare construction.

 

La Clinica de La Raza San Antonio
Neighborhood Health Center

Certus Consulting provides structural review services in advance of regluatory submittals. The review and permitting process for a new hospital building can require two years or more in California. We provide detailed reviews and facilitate coordination meetings between the owner, design team and regulators/OSHPD. We achieve success through identifying critical issues and assisting the design team in developing documentation that results in a faster review. Often, we are able to idenfity construction inefficiencies and recommend cost saving strategies.

 

 

Kaiser Permanente Modesto
Medical Center

Seismically retrofitting nonstructural systems is logistically daunting and operationally challenging. Certus has unparalleled experience in developing scoping plans, managing projects and selecting teams for the upgrade of nonstructural systems. We act as a trusted advisor for the healthcare provider on these complex projects. We have also performed design services to refine and implement the scope of work. We focus on the facility development perspective and consider all available options to address this complex challenge.

 

 

Phasing Plan
NPC3 Scoping Project

Certus Consulting provides customized solutions for evaluating short and long term seismic risk exposure to capital assets. We evaluate the effects of seismic events and estimate long-term risks to capital. We perform financial analyses of building designs to assess the benefits of enhancing performance. Certus provides value engineering services to identify building elements that can be designed or constructed more efficiently. We have developed incremental and cost-effective retrofit schemes to reduce the risk of mission critical assets during replacement planning and capital allocation studies.

 

UC Berkeley Stanley Hall

OSHPD has recently extended its successful HAZUS Reclassification Program for California General Acute Care Hospital Buildings with SPC 1 classification. This program may extend the useful life of certain buildings to January 1, 2030. Healthcare providers now have until January 2012 to submit SPC reclassification requests. Certus Consulting has submitted over three dozen requests to OSHPD, for hospitals ranging from single-story wood frame buildings to eight story steel and concrete structures. Certus has also been an integral partner in assisting healthcare clients with reclassification requests for attaining NPC 3 and NPC 4 nonstructural reclassification.

OSHPD HAZUS Submittal Process

Certus Consulting performs real estate due diligence services for various healthcare providers. Certus performs structural and financial analysis of building risks that allow our clients to make more informed decisions about the benefits and costs of a potential transaction, to negotiate better terms with sellers or landlords, and to assess the economies of upgrading buildings or obtaining insurance. Certus also writes and reviews corporate real estate guidelines to bring consistency to the purchasing and leasing process, and to incorporate building deficiencies, lifecycle costs, and operational value into the financial decision making process.

 

Real Estate Due Diligence Flowchart

Seismically retrofitting nonstructural systems is logistically daunting and operationally challenging. Certus has unparalleled experience in developing scoping plans, managing projects and selecting teams for the upgrade of nonstructural systems. We act as a trusted advisor for the healthcare provider on these complex projects. We have also performed design services to refine and implement the scope of work. We focus on the facility development perspective and consider all available options to address this complex challenge.

 

 

Overhead Patient Lift System

Certus Consulting develops earthquake response and recovery programs for clients, including major California healthcare providers. We develop information to assist engineers in performing building inspections so that our clients can quickly determine which buildings need to be closed and what repairs are most necessary to restore operations. Typically, we assess the existing earthquake safety of buildings, prepare a detailed post disaster response manual, establish an engineering inspection program, conduct training for key building personnel, and make annual condition reviews with recommendations to mitigate potential hazards.

 

Disaster Response Program
Stanford University

Certus Consulting is a recognized leader in seismic risk assessment and analysis of building portfolios. We provide sophisticated and customized loss modeling solutions to evaluate short and long term earthquake exposure. By estimating the impact of long-term capital and operational revenue change for a business, loss modeling can be used to: identify buildings with outlying risk profiles, create a risk-based “litmus test” for the acquisition of properties, provide detailed information for purchasing insurance or assessing the quality of existing policies, and develop alternate risk management strategies such as self insurance pools.

 

Sonoma County
Portfolio Risk Model

• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. - NPC 3 California Statewide Cost Model
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. - NPC 3 Scoping (numerous medical centers)
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. - San Rafael Medical Center Expansion
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. - Santa Rosa Hospital Expansion
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. - Seismic Regulation Compliance Consulting
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. - Template Hospital Structural Quality Review
• Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Fremont Medical Center - NPC 3 Retrofit
• Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Richmond Medical Center - NPC 3 Retrofit
• Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Santa Teresa Medical Center - ED Expansion
• Napa State Hospital- Ward B Retrofit (Kevin Moore)
• UCSF - Mt. Zion Building B Seismic Retrofit & Building R Renovation (Kevin Moore)
• UCSF - Mt. Zion Cancer Treatment Center (Kevin Moore)
• UCSF - Parnassus Central Plant Renovation and Utility Tunnel (Kevin Moore)
• UCSF - Shoring for Mt. Zion Cancer Treatment Center (Kevin Moore)