Feb 23, 2004 : CA Law Pushes Data Center Upgrades

📅 February 23, 2004 - A California law that mandates earthquake-proof hospitals is forcing health care companies to invest in massive IT infrastructure upgrades, according to a report published last week in Computer World. The upgrades sparked by the law include hardening of data centers, and the deployment of faster networks, wireless systems and other technologies, the report said.

The law, known as the California Facilities Seismic Safety Act, was passed in 1994. That year, an earthquake caused $3 billion in damage to 23 hospitals in Northridge, California.
According to the report, the California HealthCare Association estimates that it will cost $24 billion to earthquake-proof or rebuild the approximately 2,700 hospital buildings throughout the state of California. The report quoted one estimate, which had the IT component of that total cost coming in at between $2.4 and $3.6 billion.
While the law was passed a decade ago, health care companies are still in the process of planning their IT infrastructure upgrades in an effort to obtain full compliance with the law, the report said.