Policy Changes and More Realistic Planning Can Reduce Size of New San Diego Naval Hospital

The Department of Defense (DOD) plans to build a new naval hospital in San Diego, California, consisting of 900 acute care beds and 300 light care beds. It would replace the existing facility at Balboa Park. The Navy believes that a new hospital is needed at a new location because of structural inadequacies, inefficient arrangement of hospital buildings, noise problems, and safety hazards caused by commercial aircraft near the existing site.