State and hospital officials have found significant structural weaknesses in more than 20 hospital buildings throughout California. More than a dozen of the seismic targets are located in Southern California.
At the same time, officials have neglected steps to inform the public about the safety issues and have forgone plans to identify more potentially dangerous sites.
The hospitals in question have significant risks of crumbling during an earthquake. The Hollywood Community Hospital of Hollywood ranks in the top 5 riskiest hospitals, retaining a little more than 20 percent chance of collapse during an earthquake.
Risk percentages were determined by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and included factors like structure strength, distance from a fault line and expected ground motion in a major seismic event.
Despite little public notice, the state has mandated that the hospitals be retrofitted or replaced in anticipation of seismic events. If the hospitals in question cannot fulfill the safety requirements, they must remove patients by 2013 or 2015. California Watch reported that only six of the hospitals had submitted plans for update by last month.
California Watch is releasing a report this weekend with a more inclusive list of hospitals.
Initial List of Risky Hospitals
| Facility | City | Building I | Collapse Risk |
| Kindred Hospital Ontario | Ontario | Building I | 31.75% |
| Citrus Valley Medical Center - QV Campus | West Covina | Main Building | 30.36% |
| Kindred Hospital - San Francisco Bay Area | San Leandro | Original Building | 23.62% |
| Hollywood Community Hospital of Hollywood | Hollywood | Original Building | 20.55% |
| St. Mary's Medical Center San Francisco | San Francisco | McAuley Wing | 17.37% |
| Beverly Hospital | Montebello | Main/Utility/Tower (Block VI) | 15.48% |
| San Francisco General Hospital | San Francisco | Main Hospital | 14.47% |
| California Hospital Medical Center - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | 1964 Tower | 13.20% |
| Kindred Hospital - Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Original Building - Building I | 12.89% |
| Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center | Glendale | Juncture Building | 12.62% |
| Brotman Medical Center | Culver City | Pavilion | 10.70% |
| Long Beach Memorial Medical Center | Long Beach | 1A -1K Main Tower & Additions | 9.81% |
| John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus | Concord | Elevator/Stair Tower | 9.74% |
| Citrus Valley Medical Center - QV Campus | West Covina | South Wing Addition | 9.45% |
| Eisenhower Medical Center | Rancho Mirage | Eisenhower Wing (North) | 9.45% |
| Eisenhower Medical Center | Rancho Mirage | Eisenhower Wing (South) | 9.45% |
| Little Company of Mary - San Pedro Hospital | San Pedro | Central Wing Tower | 9.03% |
| Centinela Hospital Medical Center | Inglewood | West Tower | 8.47% |
| Huntington Memorial Hospital | Pasadena | Valentine Building | 8.24% |
| Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center | Glendale | Original Building | 7.86% |
| Little Company of Mary - San Pedro Hospital | San Pedro | West Wing & Entrance Canopy | 7.80% |
| Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center | Glendale | 1942 Building | 7.47% |
