SANTA MONICA : St. John’s Hospital to Raze Quake-Damaged Wing

St. John’s Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica, which was forced to evacuate all its patients after the Northridge earthquake, announced Thursday that it would tear down one wing that has been badly damaged and rebuild another.

Gary Miereanu, a spokesman for the hospital, said St. John’s expects to be fully operational by August, although some hospital operations, such as the radiation unit, will be phased in before that. St. John’s is still not able to accept patients for overnight stays, but is operating its outpatient facilities, Miereanu said.

The north wing, which will be torn down, was built in 1951. It included an obstetrics ward, a nursery and a chemical dependency unit. Other hospital buildings were not damaged as badly and can be rebuilt or repaired.