Sutter Health to build billion-dollar medical campus in Emeryville
Sutter Health to build $1 billion medical campus in Emeryville, expanding access to care
Sutter Health is set to invest $1 billion in a new medical campus in Emeryville, featuring state-of-the-art facilities, including a flagship hospital and outpatient services, aimed to serve the growing healthcare needs of the East Bay. The campus is expected to open in phases starting in 2028, ultimately replacing the Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley and nearly doubling the number of patients Sutter Health can care for.
EMERYVILLE, Calif. - Sutter Health is investing $1 billion to build a new medical campus in Emeryville, which will include a flagship hospital and expanded outpatient services at two existing buildings, located at 5555 Hollis Street and 5300 Chiron Street.
The development is aimed at addressing the growing healthcare needs of the East Bay and will open in phases starting in 2028.
The new hospital, located at 53rd and Horton Streets and set to open in 2033, will feature at least 200 beds, emergency services, an ICU, and private patient rooms. Two existing buildings nearby will house outpatient services and specialty clinics, with those facilities opening in 2028.
Sutter Health said the new campus will be transformative for the East Bay. The goal is to serve more patients in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
"Emeryville was selected because of this ideal campus—12 acres, two buildings to provide ambulatory care. We really wanted to improve access for patients, making it easier for them to get appointments and receive the most advanced care when they need it," said Tosan Boyo, president of Sutter’s Greater East Bay Division.
"Right now, across California, a lot of patients are waiting for appointments," Boyo added.
Future of Alta Bates hospital
What we know:
The new hospital will replace the Alta Bates acute care campus on Ashby Avenue in Berkeley, which Sutter Health announced it had intended to close the hospital by 2030, because it is out of compliance with the state's seismic safety standards.
After the move to Emeryville, the Berkeley site will be repurposed as an ambulatory surgery center, urgent care clinic, and possibly a skilled nursing facility.
Sutter Health also addressed concerns about the gap left by Alta Bates’ closure. With over 250 California hospitals not meeting seismic standards, the organization anticipates an extension of the state's compliance deadline for those facilities with replacement campuses in the works.
The expansion plan
What's next:
Sutter Health currently serves about 480,000 patients, but with the new campus, that number is expected to grow to 800,000.
It also plans to hire at least 100 doctors and clinicians for the new campus.
"When we talk about state-of-the-art facilities, we're talking about advanced imaging care, advanced operating rooms... we can also provide advanced ambulatory surgery programs and, in the clinical space, we’ll be able to offer services, procedures, and care with really the latest technology to support the clinicians and the staff in providing that care," said Dr. Arzou Ahsan, president and CEO of Sutter East Bay Medical Group.
The city of Emeryville welcomed the new development, noting that Sutter Health will become the city’s largest employer.
"I think that the very fact that it's likely going to double employment and increase traffic to our city is going to be a very good economic stimulant for both new and existing businesses," said Vice Mayor Sukhdeep Kaur.