UC Davis Health celebrated a key milestone in the construction of the Folsom Medical Office Building Thursday, a new outpatient facility being built at Hwy 50 and E. Bidwell near Folsom Ranch. Onlookers shouted “Raise that beam!” as crews used a crane to lift the final beam of steel into place today in what’s called a “topping out” ceremony.
“It’s exciting to be celebrating this milestone on the Folsom medical campus project,” said Mike Condrin, interim chief administrator for UC Davis Medical Center and chief operating officer for UC Davis Health Hospital Division. “Now that the steel structure is in place, you can really see what an impressive, impactful facility this will be. It’s an important step on the path to better meet the health care needs of the region.”
At 112,000 square feet, the three-story facility will include primary and specialty care, a lab for blood draws, ophthalmology services and an optical shop. It will also include imaging services and an infusion suite, offering treatments for cancer patients and others. It’s the first of several projects planned for the 34-acre site, all part of what will be called the Folsom Center for Health.
Mike Condrin, chief operating officer for UC Davis Health Hospital Division and Victor Baquero, medical director of UC Davis Health’s Folsom facilities shake hands after signing the beam.
Leaders from UC Davis Health and the City of Folsom were on hand for the ceremony. They were joined by other partners on the project, including contractor Rudolph and Sletten, designers LPAS Architecture and Design and Boulder Associates, and construction management team Jacobs.
Those in attendance also signed the final beam before it was hoisted into place, a common construction practice. Usually, the beam is no longer visible once construction is complete, but this building will be unique, explained UC Davis Health’s Lisa Hinton, project manager for the Folsom Medical Office Building.
UC Davis Health leaders, health care providers who will work in the new building, members of the construction and design teams, and staff from the City of Folsom signed the beam before it was hoisted into place.
“The team selected a beam that is part of the roof canopy, adjacent to the elevator machine, so this particular beam will remain exposed,” Hinton explained. “You won’t be able to see if from the ground, but the beam will be visible on the roof — a reminder of this momentous day in the project’s lifecycle.”
The $171 million building is set to be completed in 2025 and will have unobstructed views of the Sierra foothills. Future expansion plans include a surgery center, a hotel and a micro-hospital with an emergency department that has up to 30 beds. The goal is for the project to evolve and adapt to the region’s needs, with a focus on delivering more care in outpatient centers, clinics or at home, making patients more comfortable and reducing costs.
UC Davis Health employees gather in front of the beam before it’s hoisted into position.
“It’s so nice to be able to drive up or down the hill and see this incredible building taking shape,” Condrin said. “This will be a key facility for UC Davis Health, offering leading-edge care for people in Folsom and the surrounding communities, and allowing them to receive the services they need close to home.”
