UC Regents OK state-of-the-art $1.49 billion Oakland children’s hospital

OAKLAND — The UC Regents have approved a new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in what will be a $1.49 billion state-of-the-art addition to the healthcare mosaic of the East Bay.

The landmark hospital and trauma center for children will sprout on the medical center campus at 747 52nd Street in Oakland.

“The new hospital project is our covenant to the community to provide the best care available for all kids, regardless of their socioeconomic level,” said Dr. Nicholas Holmes, president of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.

UCSF Beniot Children’s Hospitals envisions the new medical center as a long-term game-changer in the region’s healthcare system.

“We are investing in this hospital to expand access to world-class care for any child for generations to come,” Holmes said.

The years-long project is slated to be completed in 2030.

The vote by the UC Regents enables a wide-ranging modernization of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. The historic complex that provides hospital services and trauma care has operated for more than a century and is consistently ranked among the nation’s top children’s hospitals.

“The new facility will offer a light-filled, healing environment, with access to outdoor space to bring respite for patients, families and staff,” the children’s hospital stated.

The massive development is expected to double the size of the emergency department, add a new diagnostic imaging suite and increase room sizes as part of a wide-ranging modernization, upgrade and expansion.

The project also will add dedicated mental health inpatient beds to address what UCSF Health officials believe is a pressing and unmet need for adolescent mental health care and services.

“We have outgrown the size of the existing facility,” Dr. Holmes said. “The real driver of this is to meet the needs of the community.”