The first storm of the season turned the corner of Alder Creek Parkway and McCarthy Way into a muddy worksite Thursday morning, but the weather didn’t slow a milestone for local health care. Dignity Health broke ground on a $123 million, 90,000-square-foot Advanced Ambulatory Care Center in Folsom Ranch, a project designed to bring outpatient surgery, advanced imaging, urgent care and multi-specialty services under one roof by summer 2027.
Leaders framed the center as both a convenience upgrade for patients and the next chapter in a decades-long partnership between Dignity Health and the City of Folsom. The project also lands amid a competitive period of investment by multiple providers on the city’s fast-growing south side, with officials positioning Folsom as a regional health-care hub.
The groundbreaking was more than a ceremonial milestone. It was a continuation of a story that began more than 35 years ago, when the Sisters of Mercy first established Mercy Hospital of Folsom. That hospital, built through a partnership of vision and faith, laid the foundation for the compassionate care that has become Dignity Health’s hallmark. “This milestone is not only about today. It is about a legacy that began long before any of us gathered here,” said Lisa Hausmann, president and CEO of Mercy Folsom. “It was born from a shared vision between the Sisters of Mercy and this community to provide compassionate care for every person, especially those greatest in need. That mission has never wavered.”
Hausmann noted that just as the hospital was built through vision and partnership, the new ambulatory care center carries that spirit forward. “Let the Advanced Ambulatory Care Center stand as a reflection of who we are together—rooted in mercy, grounded in community, and committed to a future where we will always be here to care for this community.”
The project has been carefully designed with patient experience at the center. Developed in partnership with Perkins&Will, the internationally recognized design firm, and Nexcore Group, a national health-care real estate developer, the building reflects years of planning and collaboration. Originally conceived as a two-story structure, the design grew into a three-story Class A medical facility to better accommodate demand and future growth. The location was chosen not only for its visibility but for ease of access—positioned along key thoroughfares to serve both Folsom Ranch residents and the wider Sacramento region.
“From the very beginning, this was about more than putting up a building,” said Jim Hartman, executive vice president of real estate development for Nexcore Group. “We put a lot of thought into how the facility would lay out, how patients would move from one service to another. This is about creating a seamless, convenient experience. Excel Construction, who will build the building, is based here in Sacramento and will be using local subcontractors and tradesmen, so it’s really community-based in that regard. The city of Folsom was great in terms of the permitting process—we just received our site permit this past week. We’ll be moving dirt here in the next two weeks, give or take, and then looking forward to about eighteen months of construction before we gather here again for the opening.”
Rob Marchuk, Dignity Health’s market president for Physician Enterprise in the Greater Sacramento area, called the project a game-changer for families. “Imagine seeing your specialist, getting X-rays, and even having a procedure in the same building, potentially on the same day,” Marchuk said. “It will bring advanced procedures, easily accessible diagnostic services, and virtual care into one of the fastest-growing parts of the region.”
The ambulatory care center will offer a broad range of outpatient procedures, including orthopedic, podiatry, gynecology, urology, vascular, ear, nose and throat, general surgery, and pain management. Advanced imaging services and urgent care will provide rapid diagnosis and treatment. Telehealth visits and home-monitoring devices will extend care beyond the facility, making follow-up more accessible and coordinated. “This is about convenience and access, but also about innovation,” Marchuk added. “By blending in-person and virtual care, patients will see specialists faster, schedule with more flexibility, and get stronger support after surgery or treatment.”
The project also positions Folsom within a growing regional competition for health-care investment. At least three other providers are actively building facilities in the city, aiming to serve the booming Folsom Ranch and surrounding communities. City officials see the trend as transformative, reshaping Folsom into a health-care hub for the Sacramento area. Mayor Sarah Aquino framed Dignity Health’s investment in personal terms. Recalling a wedding she and her husband attended when rain poured down and guests were forced under a tent to wait out the passing storm, she noted how laughter and connection transformed inconvenience into joy.
“Rain at a wedding is lucky,” Aquino said. “And although this is not a wedding, it is a marriage of sorts—a marriage between the Folsom community and Dignity Health that dates back to 1980 when the Sisters of Mercy acquired the old Twin Lakes Hospital. Rain is good luck today for this project and for this partnership.” Her closing words came in the form of an Irish blessing, delivered to a crowd that had grown comfortable beneath the tents despite the downpour: “May you live a long life full of gladness and health with a pocket full of gold as the least of your wealth. May the dreams you hold dearest be those which come true. The kindness you spread keep returning to you.”
Once fully operational, the center will employ hundreds of staff, supporting not only the health needs of residents but also the local economy. Leaders emphasized that the $123 million project reflects a long-term commitment to Folsom’s growth and to the region’s shift toward outpatient and community-based care. “This project is phase one of what could be an integrated medical campus,” Marchuk said. “Depending on growth and demand, we’re prepared to expand further with an acute-care hospital and medical office space. As Folsom continues to grow, we are prepared to grow alongside it.”
Dignity Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the nation. Officials said the Folsom Ranch center is aligned with CommonSpirit’s strategy to meet demand in high-growth communities, expand outpatient services, and leverage technology-enabled care. As attendees traded selfies and laughter beneath dripping umbrellas, the rain-soaked groundbreaking felt less like an inconvenience and more like a fitting start: messy, memorable, and deeply symbolic of a partnership rooted in resilience and renewal. For Folsom families, it marked the beginning of a new era in accessible, compassionate care—one that will continue to grow with the city itself.
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