Add another construction project to the list for UC Davis' always-busy Sacramento campus. Work is getting underway for UC Davis Health's new rehabilitation hospital project.
Crews have started dismantling an existing building to make room for the new hospital.
Preliminary fencing went up earlier this month around the vacant building at the corner of 49th Street and Broadway, which is the site of the new facility.
Demolition of the old building and breaking ground for construction are set to begin this summer. The project is adjacent to the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures and the planned Aggie Square site.
The $60 million project will be the first freestanding rehabilitation hospital in Sacramento County. It is a joint venture between UC Davis Health and Kentucky-based Kindred Healthcare, which operates rehabilitation facilities across the country.
The new hospital will provide acute adult inpatient care for stroke, spinal cord and traumatic brain injury patients, as well as for those who have suffered injuries from other severe accidents. Clinical services will include physical and occupational therapies and speech pathology services. Therapists, physicians and nurses will help patients regain physical function and mobility as well as independent capabilities to do everyday activities and work.
With 58,000 square feet of space, the facility will open with 40 patient beds and have the flexibility to increase capacity to 52 beds. The new hospital will be able to care for twice as many physical rehabilitation patients as currently can be treated at UC Davis Medical Center.
Brad Simmons, chief operating officer of the UC Davis Health—Hospital Division, says the region needs more rehabilitation care options.
"Each year, we see more and more orthopedic trauma, burn and stroke patients," said Simmons. "Our community and region need more acute care rehabilitation beds and capacity. This state-of-the-art hospital, just a few blocks from UC Davis Medical Center, will be a significant step forward in meeting the needs of more patients and helping them to recover and heal."
The new hospital will provide upwards of 200 clinical and supporting services jobs. Kindred Healthcare will operate the facility, which is expected to open in 2023.
