UC Davis Health has kicked off the construction of its California Tower Project with a budget of $3.74 billion. The groundbreaking ceremony for the California Tower, a 14 story, 334-bed addition to the side of UC Davis Medical Center took place on Monday. It is set to be operational by 2030.
Gary S. May, UC Davis Chancellor expressed excitement about the California Tower project and its significance for the future of healthcare at UC Davis Medical Center and the main campus. The project aims to equip researchers, students, faculty and staff to address regional healthcare needs for the five decades.
During the groundbreaking event in the construction site, May addressed an audience comprising university leaders, elected officials, project collaborators well as construction and facilities management workers.
The groundwork for the tower has been ongoing for two years by installing utilities relocating underground structures and preparing the foundation for construction. With these preparations complete actual construction is now. Is expected to last six years.
The California tower will replace sections of the hospital that would likely need decommissioning due, to state seismic standards in 2030.The upcoming plan involves the demolition of the 135 bed east wing and the north/south wing of the hospital by 2030. This project aims to increase the number of beds at the 646 bed hospital by 50.
“With the California Tower project, we are building a new paradigm of patient care, centered around how a health system can deliver tomorrow’s health care today,” said David Lubarsky, CEO of UC Davis Health. “We are building into this new tower some of the lessons we learned from the recent pandemic. As an example, three out of four of the rooms in this new tower can be easily converted to fully functional ICUs if needed, tripling our ICU capacity.”
Over 250 of the patient rooms are designed to be convertible into intensive care units. The new rooms will all be individual private rooms meeting industry preferences for private accommodations over shared ones.
The tower’s construction requires changes to emergency department entrances. The walk-in entrance will move from Street to X Street. Also, the ambulance bay will shift to accommodate these changes.
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California Tower Project Partners
McCarthy Building Companies Inc is responsible for managing the project construction while SmithGroup is overseeing its design. The building aims to achieve LEED Gold certification, for building practices.
The California tower construction project will also include an upgrade, to the existing utility plant aiming to enable the hospital to transition to all-electric or zero fossil fuel operations in the future. Funding for the project comes from $1.4 billion in hospital reserves and external financing. The University Of California Board Of Regents approved the projects design, environmental review and cost two years ago.
The California Tower will open to patients in 2030. Lubarsky emphasized it will continue the hospital’s 150-year tradition. It will serve those most in need. The tower aims to achieve excellent patient outcomes. It will also promote sustainability. Finally, it will focus on improving health outcomes and equity.
This $3.74 billion California tower will replace sections of the hospital that need closure due to state regulations. Hospitals throughout California are either upgrading their facilities. Constructing new structures capable of withstanding significant earthquakes.
Read also: US$4.3 billion UCSF Hospital expansion in progress, San Francisco
UC Davis Health Expansion to Boost Local Economy and Community Wellness
Sacramento’s largest hospital, currently at 646 beds, will expand to 675-700 beds by 2030. Moreover, the California tower project will create hundreds of construction jobs. Additionally, it will generate thousands of healthcare positions for the community.
It’s one of the advantages of having a prominent institution, like UC Davis Medical Center in the area.
UC Davis Health aims to contribute to the prosperity and overall wellness of the communities near its Sacramento campus by;
- Recruiting and nurturing talent
- Increasing procurement from nearby suppliers
- Supporting local initiatives that benefit marginalized groups
- Encouraging staff to volunteer in the local community
“This project, at the California Tower leverages the UC Davis Medical Centers strengths as Sacramentos premier hospital offering healthcare services ” Lubarsky stated. “UC Davis Health plays a role in Sacramento County by not providing healthcare services but also contributing to job creation and community growth in our area.”
He expressed gratitude for the planning that has taken place over the years involving effort and coordination that has brought us to this significant moment of beginning construction, on the new hospital tower.
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