Sutter Health plans $442M project in San Francisco

Sutter Health has announced plans to build a new neurological building in San Francisco, and that project is being called an initial step in a bigger commitment to the Bay Area.

The health system outlined the $442 million project earlier this week. Sutter Health is planning to build a five-story building offering neurological and neurosurgical services, adjacent to its existing CPMC Mission Bernal Campus hospital. The 129,000-square-foot complex is slated to open to patients in 2028.

Sutter Health says it’s the first project in the system’s plans to invest nearly $1 billion into the San Francisco area over the next five years.

Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health, said the system is aiming to deliver comprehensive neurological services in a “state-of-the-art care complex.” He also pointed to the system’s larger investment in San Francisco.

“Sutter Health is doubling down on its commitment to make significant investments that greatly expand access to advanced specialty care to meet the care needs of San Francisco residents and the entire Bay Area,” Thomas said in a statement.

The new Mission Bernal Care Complex will be built on the site of the former St. Luke’s Hospital, the system said.

In addition to neurology and neurosurgery services, the complex will include an on-site ambulatory surgery center, along with a laboratory, imaging, infusion and rehabilitation services.

The new complex will bring more convenience to patients, said Christina Oh, president of Sutter Health’s Greater San Francisco Market.

“Patients will be able to come to this location and visit their specialist, receive diagnostic lab and imaging, as well as outpatient procedures all in one complex. Having all these services under one roof and being able to provide advanced, comprehensive care for patients and their families will create a more convenient, coordinated experience,” Oh said in a statement.

Sutter’s Ray Dolby Brain Health Center and Forbes Norris MDA/ALS Research and Treatment Center will both move to the new complex. Sutter Health says patients will also gain more access to clinical trials.

Sutter is planning to add two neurological suites to the CPMC Mission Bernal Campus hospital by 2027, which will supplement the new complex when it’s finished. The new suites will offer advanced imaging to determine if patients are suffering from strokes and will allow earlier interventions.

In addition, Sutter plans to expand primary care and women’s care services on the Mission Bernal Campus. The space will be renovated and that project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2025, the system said.

Sutter Health also is planning to add more than 160 hospital beds in the Bay Area by 2025, and the system is planning to open 25 new ambulatory care centers by 2027.

The system is also expanding its graduate medical education programs, as Sutter aims to train 1,000 residents and fellows by 2030. Sutter says it’s also aiming to form more partnerships to ensure that it’s attracting a new group of clinicians that is as diverse as northern California.

Ken McNeely, chairman of Sutter Health’s board, said the system’s commitment to expand access to care is “unstoppable.”

“This investment underscores the organization’s dedication to meeting the health care needs of Northern California communities, ensuring that patients receive exceptional care close to home,” McNeely said in a statement.

Based in northern California, Sutter Health operates 22 hospitals, 33 ambulatory surgical centers and 11 cancer centers. The system serves more than 3 million patients.