PeaceHealth seeks city approval of a plan that would guide the next 20 years of development on its campus on Squalicum Parkway in Bellingham — including a new west wing with a rooftop helipad at the hospital.
The so-called “institutional master plan” would allow for construction of the Peter Paulsen Pavilion on the west end of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, the helipad, and renovations at the existing north and south pavilions. The work includes upgrades to the hospital’s emergency department and childbirth center.
The new, 120,000-square-foot west pavilion received a $50 million donation from Peter Paulsen, the developer who built the Hotel Bellwether. Construction should begin in fall 2024 and be completed within three years, said Bev Mayhew, a senior director of marketing and communications for PeaceHealth.
The rooftop helipad will enable more efficient patient transfers into the ER, Mayhew said.
“Patients arriving via helicopter will be transferred directly to the Emergency Department via elevator, [as] opposed to the current process requiring transfer via ambulance from the helipad located behind the hospital,” Mayhew said in an email.
Some PeaceHealth neighbors have expressed concerns about helicopter noise and safety, particularly when medical helicopters deviate from their prescribed paths and fly over residences.
City staff mentioned in the plan that helicopter routes are dictated by weather and the patient’s condition, as well as air traffic control at Bellingham International Airport.
Later phases of the plan include a new three-story medical building at 3001 Squalicum Parkway and additional parking structures. Once approved by the city council, the plan will be in effect through 2042.
First, the plan will get a public hearing before the Bellingham Planning Commission, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 6. Those interested in speaking at the hearing can attend in person at city hall, 210 Lottie St., or join the meeting via Zoom.
