UCSF Benioff Children's has received final approval from the UC board of regents for a $1.49 billion hospital on its Oakland, Calif., campus.
Four things to know:
1. The vote paves the way for the health system to modernize UCSF Benioff Children's Oakland, a pediatric safety net hospital and level 1 trauma center. "The new hospital project is our covenant to the community to provide the best care available for all kids, regardless of their socioeconomic level," Nicholas Holmes, MD, president of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, said.
2. The seven-story, 277,500-square-foot building will include an emergency department that is double the size of the current one. The additional space will provide updated imaging and surgical services, a new neonatal intensive care unit and seven surgical suites.
3. The hospital building will have triple the number of single-patient rooms as the current hospital — from 39 now to 137 — while also providing rooms for families with multiple children requiring care. It will also add a 20-bed inpatient behavioral health unit.
4. The new hospital is expected to open in 2030. It aims to expand care quality and access for an area in which more than 70% of patients are covered by Medi-Cal.
"This is an opportunity to extend our impact on the health and well-being of the children in our community by enabling more patients to access an innovative, culturally responsive pediatric health system," UCSF Health President and CEO Suresh Gunasekaran said.