Stanford plans nearby clinic for outpatient procedures Stanford plans nearby clinic for outpatient procedures (March 02, 2005)

By Andrea Gemmet

Almanac Staff Writer

Stanford Hospital officials have announced plans to open the hospital's first off-site outpatient clinic at the vacant Excite@Home campus in Redwood City.

Expected to open in late summer of 2007, the clinic will include outpatient services in orthopedics, ophthalmology, sleep disorders, surgery and imaging, said hospital spokeswoman Sarah Sherwood.

The move represents the first foray by a new contender into the increasingly competitive health-care market in the Redwood City area. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Sequoia Hospital, and Kaiser Permanente all plan to expand or replace facilities in the area in the near future.

Stanford's academic ties distinguish it from other community hospitals, giving patients access to "the latest and best care possible," said Larry Carr, director of government relations for Stanford.

"For patients in the area looking for a clinical trial or the latest research, we can provide that," said Ms. Sherwood.

By expanding into the roughly 360,000-square-foot former Excite@Home facility, located off of Woodside Road near U.S. 101, Stanford officials say they can alleviate pressure on existing facilities in Palo Alto from increasing numbers of patients and a growing trend toward outpatient procedures.

Outpatient care -- procedures that don't require an overnight hospital stay -- is more efficient and more cost-friendly for patients, said Ms. Sherwood.

Hospital officials have been searching for properties for more than a year, and plan to purchase the Redwood City site. Three of the four buildings will be revamped for patient care and the fourth will hold administrative offices, Mr. Carr said. He could not give an estimate for the amount of interior improvements that will be needed, but said that hospital officials are working with doctors on the design.

Mr. Carr called it an ideal location, with great freeway access and new buildings that won't need any exterior work.

The clinic is expected to create hundreds of jobs, and the hospital will help fund traffic improvements in the area, he said.

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