Countywide

Plans for the future of Edgemoor Geriatric Hospital moved a step forward Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors agreed to consider two consultants’ reports and ordered the county staff to explore options for changes at the facility.

The actions were part of the board’s plan to shape the long-term future of the Santee hospital, which is home to invalids who cannot afford or are not admitted to private nursing homes.

On Tuesday, the board accepted a master plan for the hospital’s grounds and a report on options for managing the program.

The master plan, prepared by the Stichler Design Group, demonstrated how a new hospital could be built on the Edgemoor site without closing the old building. After completion of the new structure, the old one would be torn down and could be replaced by a private development that would help pay for the project, according to the plan.

The management report, by the consulting firm of Deloitte, Haskins and Sells, offered several options for operating the 323-bed hospital, including a joint agreement with a public hospital district or a contract with a private agency.

The report also recommended that Edgemoor be given more control over its maintenance, purchasing and personnel functions, rather than continuing to rely on various county departments for those services. The supervisors approved a plan by county officials to more closely monitor the hospital’s costs before making any major changes.

Last year, Edgemoor was the target of local, state and federal investigations that concluded that the hospital was plagued by substandard care, shoddy maintenance and bad management.