Building Facts and Features
The architectural vision is to create a timeless and transformative building that is responsive to the unique needs of a variety of our specialty patients, yet operates efficiently. “Transformative” describes a design that not only contributes in new ways of advancing health, but also contributes to healing through connections to nature, art, beauty and support of patients and their families.
At UC San Diego Health System, we believe the clinical environment is an integral part of the patient's experience. It is a key part of our commitment to provide high-quality, compassionate care. Important input from our medical faculty, staff and community members has helped to shape this vision.
Garden Design, Natural Light and Efficiency
One of the most important features of the new Jacobs Medical Center is its garden-based design, which includes numerous outdoor areas, and both interior and exterior spaces designed to maximize natural light – proven to help patients recover faster, both physically and mentally.
The aesthetic environment can also play a role in the healing process. Caregivers have found that patients in calming environments require less pain medication, and for highly stressed pre-surgical patients, art can influence blood pressure levels and responses to treatment. The aesthetics, such as the color palate, of the new Jacobs Medical Center will be chosen to contribute to our patients’ healing and well-being.
Operationally, the design incorporates the findings of workflow and efficiency studies, addressing areas where efficiency can be increased for the benefit of the patient. For example, in order to simplify the patient experience, we have conceived a “Patient Intake Center” that allows for the consolidation of many hospital services into one location at the front door of the Center. Additional provisions for families of patients have been planned throughout the building, including dedicated family areas and “living rooms” on each bed floor.
For certain emergencies, there will also be a Helistop (helicopter pad) on the roof with direct access to all floors.
Building at a Glance
- 10-story, 509,500-square-foot building
- Total project cost of $700 million
- Adjacent to UC San Diego’s Thornton Hospital in La Jolla
- Initially 161 beds, including 24 Intermediate Care Unit (IMU) beds, 24 bone marrow transplant (BMT) beds, and 24 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds
- 5 operating rooms
- 8 Labor and Delivery rooms, plus 6 prenatal rooms licensed as labor/delivery/recovery/postpartum rooms (LDRPs)
- 20 postpartum inpatient rooms
- 3-room Birthing Center, including family lounge
- 3 rooms for C-section deliveries
- 52 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) rooms
- Helistop - helicopter landing pad with direct access to all floors
- Garden - based design to maximize natural light
- Dedicated family areas on each bed floor
- Scheduled to open in 2016
Programs and Services
NOTICE: All Jacobs Medical Center images, such as photographs and renderings, are copyrighted by UC San Diego Health Sciences’ Marketing & Communications Department, and are for its exclusive use. To obtain permission to use any of these images, please contact Beth Regan at
eregan@ucsd.edu.