Scripps plans to build new medical campus with hospital in San Marcos
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The plans for a new Scripps San Marcos Medical Center campus. Rendering: Scripps Health
Scripps Health is building a new medical center campus in San Marcos, following through on a 35-year-old plan.
Why it matters: The plan is to open two hospital facilities for outpatient and acute care on the 13-acre property that will serve the city's growing population and propel San Marcos toward becoming a health care hub.
Zoom in: A comprehensive ambulatory care facility will open first with physician offices, outpatient surgery, cancer care and other services, Scripps announced Monday.
- Phase two of construction will be a 200- to 250-bed acute care hospital.
- The project near Cal State San Marcos around Route 78 and Twin Oaks Valley Parkway is estimated to cost about $1.2 billion with the hospital set to open in 2031, the Union-Tribune reported.
Flashback: In 1990, Scripps bought about 80 acres of land in San Marcos to eventually build a medical campus, and worked with developers and the city over the years on several projects that stalled or were scrapped. One section of the land turned into residential housing, and Scripps kept this 13-acre section for a future hospital.
- The medical campus plan finally came to fruition last week when the Scripps board approved the facility following studies and an uptick in patient demand.
Between the lines: Building this San Marcos campus puts a hold on Scripps' plans to replace and renovate Scripps Mercy hospitals in Hillcrest and Chula Vista, the U-T reported.
- State law requires those facilities to complete major upgrades related to earthquake safety by 2030 to continue inpatient care.
- Meanwhile, new medical buildings at Scripps Memorial hospitals in La Jolla and Encinitas are already under construction.
- The continued investment in North County is a financial one as those properties keep the southern hospitals afloat, Scripps' president and CEO Chris Van Gorder told the U-T.
What's next: Scripps will now work with the city to get permits and start construction of the ambulatory facility. Then they'll bring in the state for construction of the hospital.