MultiCare submits plans to launch emergency medical center in Lacey
MultiCare Health System continues to make a splash in Thurston County, now announcing its plans for an emergency medical center in Lacey.
After the Tacoma-based nonprofit acquired Capital Medical Center in west Olympia — and changed its name to MultiCare Capital Medical Center — the health care organization has now submitted plans for the 10,000-square-foot emergency center on a long-vacant parcel at Golf Club Road and Pacific Avenue.
The specific address is 4312 Pacific Ave. SE.
“The proposed facility is an off-campus extension of a parent hospital that will provide emergency, community-based, medical care,” the application reads. It would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Although not named in application materials, the “off-campus extension of a parent hospital” is likely a reference to MultiCare Capital Medical Center. MultiCare officials had a preliminary discussion about the proposal with the city of Lacey in September. A contact at MultiCare could not be reached Tuesday.
Why open an emergency medical center? Possibly because area emergency rooms have been so busy of late, particularly during the pandemic.
Many hospitals, including Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, dealt with a surge of patients over the summer, The Olympian reported.
“We have hospitals calling us from surrounding states — Montana, Alaska, Northern California, Oregon — to try to get us to take their patients on any given day,” Providence spokeswoman Angela Maki said in August. “This is not a unique situation.”
Plans were submitted to Lacey, including a conditional use permit application, on Dec. 3 and the application was deemed complete Jan. 5, according to city of Lacey information.
To secure a conditional use permit under city of Lacey rules means it will have to come before the Lacey Hearings Examiner and Lacey City Council.
The public comment period for the project ends at 5 p.m. Jan. 19., according to city information.
To comment, contact Lacey senior planner Sarah Schelling at sschelli@ci.lacey.wa.us, or send mail to the Lacey Community Development Department, 420 College St. SE, Lacey, WA 98503.
