City of Morgan Hill Economic Blueprint.docx

HEALTHCARE

Grow and foster the medical service and diagnostsics industry by attracting services and facilities.

The closure and relocation of the former Saint Louise Regional Medical Center in 1999 left a large void in healthcare services in Morgan Hill. The community has expressed desire to regain access to the full range of healthcare/medical services it once enjoyed. Currently there are seven skilled nursing facilities and 145 medical, dental, and vision professionals within the Morgan Hill city limits. There is one urgent care facility (operating at the former hospital site) and one orthopedic surgery center. In addition to providing expanded services for residents, growing the City’s medical industry will help create jobs for residents, many of whom are employed in this industry.

In 2014, the City of Morgan Hill commissioned a study by Health Systems Advisors (HSA) to assess the viability of attracting expanded medical services in Morgan Hill. The analysis estimated the demand for medical services, quantified the network of existing providers in the region and concluded that Morgan Hill was a viable location for the following medical services: Ambulatory surgery,

imaging center, urgent care, and primary care. The report recommended that the City of Morgan Hill attract, build, and maintain a vibrant ambulatory healthcare community, including increasing the number of primary care providers, as well as services such as laboratory, imaging, and physical therapy. In interviews with medical providers, real estate ownership is an appealing opportunity for location and expansion. Focusing medical attraction efforts on vacant, non-industrial employment lands (particularly retail projects that are underutilized because they are not in the best locations) for specialty services, imaging, acute and urgent care service has the potential to garner new investments in Morgan Hill by the professional medical community.

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