NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a significant move to expand access to comprehensive, high-quality care, Sutter Health today unveiled plans to develop approximately one million square feet across two healthcare campuses in the City of Santa Clara. The not-for-profit healthcare system, in collaboration with the region’s 95-year-old Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group (PAFMG) and its 2,000 Sutter-aligned physicians and The Sobrato Organization, will renovate two large vacant office campuses to create a connected, regional healthcare destination. Across these two campuses, patients will be able to access a full spectrum of integrated ambulatory services—from primary and specialty care, to imaging, lab and diagnostic services, ambulatory surgery and more—and hundreds of new physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and employees will also be added to support this patient care expansion.
“Sutter Health is launching a visionary, future focused phased expansion plan in the heart of Silicon Valley and across our California region to improve access to patient care that is in high demand,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health. “As part of our continued commitment to expanding physician services, ambulatory and outpatient care in the Silicon Valley and providing a differentiated care experience, we’re working closely with our physician partners at PAFMG and development partner The Sobrato Organization to plan and open these flagship healthcare destinations across two connected campuses.
“Our goal is to address the healthcare needs of the region and tackle the challenges patients face when trying to get appointments and referrals by advancing a seamless and integrated care experience, attracting more primary and specialty care physicians to the area,” Thomas said. “We are also investing in programs and educational partnerships with West Valley-Mission Community College District to build the healthcare workforce of the future.”
Two Santa Clara Sites Less Than a Mile Apart
In November, Sutter and The Sobrato Organization completed a 75-year ground lease with West Valley-Mission Community College District (West Valley–Mission) on a five-building campus located at 2811, 2817, 2821, 2831 and 2841 Mission College Blvd., now known as the Sutter West Santa Clara Campus. A second lease for three buildings about a mile away at 2431, 2441 and 2451 Mission College Blvd. was signed in 2023 for what will become the Sutter East Santa Clara Campus.
This expansion announcement comes at a time when PAFMG’s physician ranks are expanding significantly to meet patient demands and space is needed to accommodate this growth, with nearly 300 physicians hired in 2023 and 2024 and plans to hire hundreds more over the next five years.
“Our vision is to provide a full range of healthcare services to people in the Greater Silicon Valley, ensuring they have timely access to excellent care close to home,” said Kurt VandeVort, M.D., CEO of Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group. “As part of this significant investment in the region and in Santa Clara, we are poised to add several hundred physicians to these two campuses and enable our ability to care for hundreds of thousands of more patients by 2030.”
A Long-Term Commitment to Expanding Healthcare Access in Northern California
Access to high-quality healthcare remains one of the nation’s most pressing challenges, and the need is especially evident in the Greater Silicon Valley, where the demand is so great some patients wait more than a month for a scheduled appointment. To meet this growing need, Sutter is investing in these new Santa Clara ambulatory healthcare campuses, in addition to plans announced in June for a new care center in Morgan Hill, all part of a broader initiative to open 27 new ambulatory care centers across Northern California by 2027.
The growing shortage of physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers complicates access to care. Sutter is equally committed to supporting the future of healthcare through workforce development. Newly accredited Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residency programs will launch in the summer of 2025 and Sutter plans to grow its Graduate Medical Education programs to train 1,000 physician residents and fellows each year by 2030. Through new academic partnerships, Sutter plans to foster new pathways to attract a broad range of high-caliber clinical talent reflective of the diverse communities it serves.
A Comprehensive and Connected Regional Destination
A full spectrum of integrated, multi-specialty healthcare services means diagnostic imaging and lab services, exam rooms, treatment areas and support systems are all in one comprehensive regional hub, making it convenient for patients to coordinate visits for tests and office visits with their care teams.
Sutter West Santa Clara Campus (approximately 700,000 square feet): The west campus will focus on specialty services and will feature four destination centers of excellence in:
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- Orthopedics and sports medicine
- Cancer
- Women’s health
- Heart and vascular care
The campus will also house comprehensive diagnostic imaging, lab and testing services and other aligned and differentiated specialty clinics with plans to welcome the first patients as early as 2027, when services will begin to open in a phased approach.
Sutter East Santa Clara Campus (approximately 300,000 square feet): The east campus will focus on comprehensive primary care, as well as specialty care services, an ambulatory surgery center and urgent care to ensure patients can get the best care in the most convenient and easy to access healthcare setting. Planned services include:
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- Comprehensive primary care
- Specialty clinics (cardiology, neurology, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, ENT, plastics and general surgery, endocrinology, dermatology, gastroenterology and other procedural specialties)
- Advanced diagnostic lab and imaging
- Primary and specialty pediatric care
- Adult and pediatric urgent care
Mental health services will also be expanded in an ambulatory setting and integrated into overall care. By taking an innovative, team-based approach, Sutter will leverage the expertise of primary care providers, psychiatric consultants and care coordinators to support patients and manage treatment.
This is a phased project, with the first building on the Sutter East Santa Clara Campus expected to open in the latter half of 2025, and an anticipated investment of more than $800 million to develop both campuses, which will house several hundred physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Sutter looks forward to continuing to partner with community physicians and others who remain critical to healthcare delivery across the region.
“We want each person’s experience to be the best and most personalized possible, supported by state-of-the-art technology and digital capabilities,” said Kevin Cook, president of Sutter’s Greater Silicon Valley division. “These two healthcare campuses in Santa Clara will continuously connect physical assets with leading-edge digital tools—including AI, telemedicine and remote patient management—all of which will drive increased patient satisfaction and improve access to care.”
Partners Play Key Role in Advancing Healthcare Vision for Region
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Sutter Health as we build on an aligned vision to bring new ambulatory healthcare services to patients in Santa Clara and surrounding areas. We know there’s growing patient demand and a significant need for access to more high-caliber healthcare services in the region, and together, we are uniquely positioned to bring clinical expertise and a shared commitment to community leadership and impact,” said Sobrato CEO Tony Mestres. “This transaction represents the start of a phased approach to engage physicians, patients and the community in dialogue and discovery, while also collaborating with technology partners and others to explore innovative solutions. We appreciate the support of West Valley-Mission on the ground lease process and look forward to ongoing collaboration.”
Additionally, Sutter looks forward to partnering with West Valley-Mission to accelerate its workforce development programs, which today include an associate degree in nursing program, as well as programs for certified nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses and registered nurses; a new bachelor of science degree in emergency services administration; and plans to develop a 70,000-square-foot STEM Center adjacent to the Sutter West Santa Clara Campus that will expand West Valley-Mission’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.
"This collaboration embodies our district's commitment to fostering innovation that serves both our students and the broader community," said West Valley-Mission Community College District Chancellor Bradley Davis. "By integrating a premier healthcare facility with our academic environment, we're creating unparalleled opportunities for students to engage in real-world clinical experiences while addressing critical healthcare needs in our region."
About Sutter Health
Sutter Health is a not-for-profit, people-centered healthcare system providing comprehensive care throughout California. Sutter Health is committed to health equity, community partnerships, and innovative, high-quality patient care. Today, Sutter Health is pursuing a bold new plan to reach more people and make excellent healthcare more connected and accessible. The health system’s 57,000+ staff and clinicians and 12,000+ affiliated physicians currently serve more than 3 million patients with a focus on expanding opportunities to serve patients, people and communities better. Sutter Health provides exceptional, affordable care through its hospitals, medical groups, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, telehealth, home health and hospice services. Dedicated to transforming healthcare, at Sutter Health, getting better never stops.
Learn more about how Sutter Health is transforming healthcare at sutterhealth.org and vitals.sutterhealth.org.
About Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group (PAFMG) is one of the largest multi-specialty medical groups in the country, made up of over 2,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians in 40+ specialties, in practices throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Our organization is nationally recognized for our excellence with multiple awards for quality of care, innovation, and leadership. PAFMG is affiliated with Palo Alto Medical Foundation, a not-for-profit health care organization, providing operational and administrative support, including the latest technology, allowing physicians to focus on delivering exceptional patient care.
About The Sobrato Organization
The Sobrato Organization (TSO) is a family-owned, multi-enterprise firm focused on real estate, investment, and philanthropy with the mission to build a more equitable and sustainable world through business and philanthropic leadership. For nearly seven decades, TSO has played a pivotal role in the emergence and growth of Silicon Valley. Starting with real estate, then branching into grantmaking, advocacy, and impact investing, TSO has worked hard to shape a world that is more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. Learn more at sobrato.com.
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Angie Sheets Sutter Health 916-494-9547 sheetsa@sutterhealth.org
