Who
- Mad River Community Hospital
- St. Joseph’s Eureka and Redwood campuses
- SoHum Health
What
One year to the day from when an earthquake shook Fortuna, a 6.4-magnitude quake rattled Humboldt County in the early hours of Dec. 20, 2022. Importantly, all four Humboldt County hospitals continued patient care throughout the event and the subsequent aftershocks and power outages. As of early this week, Humboldt County hospitals were maintaining this care through the current succession of winter storms that have been punishing the coast and blowing down the county’s famous shallow-rooted redwoods. The recent earthquakes, the battering of winter storms, and the ongoing tripledemic underscore the critical role of advocacy for California hospitals, especially for the rural providers who are a lifeline for their communities. Special kudos go to the team at PG&E that has been activated and deeply engaged in the community since the earthquake and has continued its work through the present storms.
Specific post-earthquake notes:
- Mad River Community Hospital reported no damage to facilities or operations in its single-story wood frame structure.
- The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and independent structural engineers inspected Providence St. Joseph Hospital, Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital, and the campus at General Hospital, and all three passed structural tests.
- Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District reported that felled trees and road damage impacted staff, but the hospital did not suffer any structural damage.