Tehachapi Hospital in Tehachapi, Calif., will undergo tests for seismic safety to allow the facility to remain in use while the construction of a replacement hospital continues, according to an article on the Tehachapi News website.

The deadline for seismic safety compliance is a year away, but the Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District is trying to get that deadline extended while the new hospital is built.

Testing is needed to determine the current hospital's seismic status, according to Interim CEO Eugene Suksi.

"There will be some inspection of the existing hospital and inspection of key structural components, including exploration and inspection of the interiors of walls and ceilings to determine structural integrity," Suksi said.

Seismic standards must meet a specific structural performance rating determined by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.

Tehachapi has been designated as an SPC 1 — a facility built before 1973 that could pose significant risk of collapse in the event of a major earthquake. 

Read the article.