Unanimously approved: San Francisco's first new hospital in decades

A $1.5 billion hospital complex unanimously approved Thursday by the University of California Board of Regents will be the first new hospital built in San Francisco in decades and could help raise the city's profile as healthcare-related business hub, the San Francisco Business Times reports.

The 289-bed UCSF Medical Center complex will serve as a women's, children's, and cancer specialty hospital. Construction is slated to begin in December, the San Francisco Business Times reports.

First conceived nearly a decade ago, the project will be financed through a mix of debt financing, philanthropic gifts and hospital reserves. The hospital has already raised $375 million in a $600 million fundraising campaign, including two pledges of $100 million or more.

The 878,000 square-foot complex will include a 183-bed children's hospital with urgent/emergency care, primary care and specialty outpatient services; a women's hospital that offers cancer care; specialty surgery and a 36- bed birthing center and a 70-bed adult hospital for cancer patients.

The entire project has been designed to be environmentally friendly and certified LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Its energy and water conservation measures, green spaces, and use of non-toxic materials will be among the most extensive of any urban U.S. hospital, according to a statement from UCSF Medical Center.

To learn more:
- read athe UCSF Medical Center press release
- read the San Francisco Business Times article

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