Scripps Unveils 25-Year Master Plan to Create Comprehensive Regional Medical Campus in La Jolla

Building on its 86-year legacy of evolving to serve changing patient needs by providing the medical care of the future, Scripps today unveiled a 25-year master plan that will rebuild Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla to meet the region’s health care needs for the rest of the 21st Century.

“We are creating a full-service, regional medical campus that builds on our history, begun by Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, who had a vision to combine high quality health care with medical research,” said Scripps President and CEO Chris Van Gorder. “Miss Ellen’s vision lives on in this bold and comprehensive plan to bring innovative, patient-centered care to San Diego while providing a destination for those outside our region who are seeking access to the most advanced, high-quality treatments.”

Scripps will replace the existing hospital with three new hospital towers to meet state earthquake safety mandates, while taking advantage of the opportunity to build the most comprehensive medical campus in the region. The campus also will include research and graduate medical education facilities, an outpatient treatment center and medical offices.

Patients will have all their health care needs met in one location, from wellness, prevention and advanced diagnostics in the medical offices and outpatient pavilion to the latest medical and surgical treatments in the new hospital. The regional campus will allow Scripps to provide greater collaboration and efficiency between its two La Jolla campuses at Scripps Memorial and Scripps Green Hospital on Torrey Pines Mesa.

The 43-acre campus will be developed over the next 25 years, starting with the groundbreaking event in June for the first hospital tower and continuing with two additional hospital towers, two new medical office buildings, an outpatient care pavilion and additional parking. Under the plan, the existing hospital will be razed and a new hospital will be built to meet state seismic standards while providing services necessary to meet current and future community health care needs. The cost to realize the entire master plan is estimated at more than $2 billion based on current projections. The plan has been submitted and is currently in review by the City of San Diego.

In addition to the medical facilities, plans call for a new central energy plant, new roadway entry and on-campus roadway realignment to make maximum use of the existing area.

“This will be a regional campus dedicated to the patient as well as to fully applying the technologies of the future,” said Scripps Chief Medical Officer Brent Eastman, MD. “The medical care of the future – to be delivered here – incorporates wireless technology, robotic surgery, digital monitoring and record-keeping, and high-tech operating rooms, in a setting designed for and around the patient.”

Because Scripps is the largest provider of cardiac services in the region, the first hospital tower will be the hub of the Scripps Prebys Cardiovascular Institute. This will make the most of health care resources for the community by bringing together the cardiovascular programs of Scripps La Jolla, Scripps Green and Kaiser Permanente. Scripps and Kaiser recently agreed to a 10-year extension of their 30-year partnership.

The eight-story, 383,000-square-foot first hospital tower will cost $398 million and will open for patient care in 2015. It will feature 108 in-patient beds in private rooms, 60 intensive care beds, six state-of-art operating rooms, cardiac catheterization labs with the most advanced medical technology, centralized cardiovascular research labs and a center for graduate medical education.

Computerized room-level observation stations, a decentralized medication dispensing process and decentralized nurses stations allow caregivers to closely monitor patients and improve communications with family members. Rooms include a variety of amenities for families, including wireless Internet access, plasma screen televisions and comfortable pullout couches for overnight stays.

Building design, which will incorporate numerous green building principles and practices, was developed with input from physicians, nurses and clinical staff to ensure efficiencies that will foster exceptional care in a safe, comforting environment. Large expanses of windows will take advantage of natural light, water- and energy-saving devices will be incorporated wherever possible, and there will be a “green” roof on at least one of the hospital towers.

Established on Prospect Street in downtown La Jolla in 1924, Scripps La Jolla moved to its current location in 1964. Today, the hospital provides care to more than 140,000 patients annually, is equipped with 389 beds, and has more than 2,400 employees and approximately 900 affiliated physicians.

Philanthropy has played an important role in Scripps’ growth and expansion. The hospital expansion will be financed by operating revenues, borrowing and community support. To date, $32 million in philanthropic gifts have been raised toward the $125 million fundraising goal for the first hospital tower, which includes naming opportunities.

“Community support has been an important part of Scripps history thanks to the generosity of grateful patients and will be a critical part of future plans,” Van Gorder said.

The Scripps La Jolla master plan is part of $3 billion in improvements being made to facilities throughout the Scripps Health system. Projects include a new emergency department and critical care building, medical office building and parking structure at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, and the new Conrad Prebys Emergency and Trauma Center, a new parking structure and central energy plant at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego. Other facility improvements include seismic upgrades and investment in new information technology.

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Media Contact: Lisa Ohmstede

Phone: 858-626-7142

E-mail: ohmstede.lisa@scrippshealth.org