UC Davis Health has initiated construction of the California Tower, a $3.74 billion expansion of its medical center highlighted by a 14-story hospital tower and a five-story pavilion.

Approved by the UC Board of Regents in January 2022, the California Tower will expand the medical center's footprint by nearly one million square feet. The new facilities will include operating rooms, an imaging center, advanced pharmacy and burn care units, and approximately 334 private patient rooms. Of these, more than 250 rooms are designed for quick conversion into intensive care unit rooms, providing flexibility during health crises.

David Lubarsky, CEO of UC Davis Health, highlighted the forward-looking design of the new tower. “We are building into this new tower some of the lessons we learned from the recent pandemic,” he said. “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.”

The project will replace parts of the hospital that must close due to state seismic regulations. Once completed in 2030, the expanded hospital will increase its capacity to 675-700 inpatient beds, maintaining its status as the largest hospital in the Sacramento area.

The California Tower project is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs and thousands of healthcare positions, supporting the local economy and community wellbeing. UC Davis Health plans to further invest in the Sacramento area by hiring local workforce talent, purchasing from local vendors, and engaging in community projects.

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