Mission Hospital says campus must change for 2030 seismic rules; CEO says plan currently excludes an acute care hospital

Mission Hospital's CEO told the Laguna Beach City Council that seismic compliance and aging infrastructure are driving a long‑range reimagining of the hospital campus and that, in early planning, the hospital's proposed future does not include operating an acute care hospital with inpatient beds and a traditional emergency department.

Seth Teigen, Mission Hospital CEO, said the campus — built in 1959 — faces roughly $300 million in seismic upgrades plus an estimated $50 million in additional infrastructure work to remain seismically compliant under current California standards. "We have no intention of leaving Laguna Beach," Teigen told the council, but added the facility likely will "look differently" because of regulatory and cost constraints and that the hospital is in phase one of planning to propose alternative care models for the community.

The public comment period included a long, emotional statement from an ER nurse (unnamed in the transcript) who described a recent cardiac arrest case and a 27‑minute transport to Mission Hospital. The commenter warned that removing local emergency services would leave the city underresourced for urgent care, noted only two ambulances are available in town, and cited offload times and long transport distances to neighboring hospitals.

Teigen said state rules make standalone emergency departments infeasible in California because regulations typically require supporting departments (ICU, medical‑surgical beds, operating rooms, radiology, pharmacy and laboratory). "Essentially, you can have an acute care hospital or nothing," he said, adding that the hospital will work with the city and community to develop alternatives and return with more detailed planning in the second quarter of the next year.

Council members acknowledged the emergency‑care concern and asked the hospital to continue working with city staff, the ad hoc committee and the community. No formal council action was taken at the study session; the council and Mission Hospital agreed to ongoing collaboration and for the hospital to return with further details.

What happens next: Mission Hospital will continue phase‑one planning and intends to present more detailed proposals in a future meeting; the council's ad hoc hospital committee will continue discussions with hospital leadership.