Sutter Davis Hospital officials and local leaders broke ceremonial ground today, signaling the next step in the facility’s expansion of healthcare services for the city and beyond.

Positioned near what will be the expanded Emergency Department, Sutter Davis Hospital CEO Rachael McKinney spoke to how the plans will help enhance access to some of the most heavily used services at the community hospital.

“Our expansion answers the questions of how we may best serve today’s patients while growing our care to serve tomorrow’s patients equally well,” she said.

Highlights from the estimated $69.5 million, 28,154-square-foot project include:

• The addition of five triage/flex spaces and 11 treatment areas (for an eventual total of 23 treatment areas) to the existing Emergency Department, expanding it by a little more than 11,000 square feet.

• An expansion of the Labor and Delivery Department, allowing more patients access to innovative and personalized care. In total, plans include adding three labor and delivery rooms (for an eventual total of nine), four post-partum recovery rooms (for an eventual total of 16), two special procedure/delivery rooms, and the addition of three more tubs to the hospital’s popular and distinctive water birthing program (for an eventual total of five).

• The expansion will also add five new medical-surgical unit beds (for an eventual total of 35), allowing increased patient access to a range of health and healing needs inside the hospital.

Local Woman Shares What Hospital Means to Her and Her Family

Davis resident Chrissie Jackura is particularly excited about Sutter Davis Hospital’s expansion. She and other members of her family are what she refers to as “multi-generational” patients of the hospital—celebrating births, undergoing surgeries or receiving emergency care—all starting in the 1980s. Jackura has drawn on her experiences over the years to help support her current role as a Sutter Davis Hospital volunteer.

“I see firsthand the difference that the culture of caring here makes in the patient experience,” she said.

Environmental Work to Support Community Health

Green and sustainable elements of the expansion are additional ways Sutter Davis Hospital invests in the overall health and well-being of surrounding communities. A solar panel installation will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which minimizes the impact of climate change. More and more research demonstrates how climate change impacts public health and public safety in the form of extreme heat or wildfires.

The solar panels will also help meet the City of Davis’ goals to become carbon-neutral by 2040. The panels, which will be installed as carports in the reconfigured parking lot, will offset more than 20% of the electricity needed on the hospital campus. The power they provide will be carbon-freer, moving that much closer to carbon-neutrality. Other green elements on the campus include a lush new grove of trees and electric vehicle charging stations.

Commitment to Community Continues

Sutter Davis Hospital, part of the not-for-profit, integrated Sutter Health network, has a long, proud history of providing high-quality care in Yolo County and beyond. McKinney expressed her gratitude to the community for the opportunity to carry on that legacy of care.

“Truly, none of this would be possible without support from the community and philanthropic partners, who know how fundamental healthcare is to quality of life—and those who willing to act,” she said. “With your help, we will be able to open more doors to quality healthcare for more people and continue building a stronger community.”

The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023.