Sutter Medical Center unveils $812 million Anderson Lucchetti Women's and Children's Center

The new neonatal intensive care unit on the seventh floor of the Anderson Lucchetti Women’s and Children’s Center.

The Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento recently opened the Anderson Lucchetti Women's and Children's Center, an $812 million medical expansion project comprising nearly 1 million square feet of space for patient care.

The 10-story, 242-bed center is an acute care hospital offering neonatal and pediatric intensive care. Pediatric cardiac, neurosurgery and cancer services, and both high-risk and conventional maternity services are also offered.

Gary Zavoral, marketing and communications director for Sutter Medical Center, said that before August of this year, women and children seeking medical treatment had to visit a separate campus, nearly two miles away in a residential neighborhood.

"We wanted to combine all the medical services into one campus," said Zavoral. "We had worked for years at combining the two."

The other issue, he said, was bringing the facility in line with modern earthquake standards.

[Also: Top healthcare construction projects of 2015; Building surges as demand picks up, Revista says]

"They decided it was the right time," said Zavoral.

The new center boasts a slew of features, among them furniture that converts into beds for families that want to stay overnight with patients in their private rooms. Other features include a freeway-adjacent helicopter pad for quick transport, washer and dryers for extended stays, a kitchen, and skyline views from eighth-floor suites.

"Women were (formerly) in rooms that were shared -- what we call semi-private," said Zavoral. "Now it's all private, and there's lots of room. They're treated to a new baby and this wonderful view" of downtown Sacramento.

He added that, since the August opening, the new center has drawn overwhelmingly positive reviews from both patients and physicians, with the latter group pointing out the benefits of better digs.

"They understand that the environment really helps with the healing process," he said. "Everybody loves it."

[Also: Sutter Health CEO Pat Fry to retire, COO Sarah Krevans to replace him]

The Women's and Children's center is the last piece of an ambitious renovation project. The former Sutter General Hospital, now the Ose Adams Medical Pavilion, has been expanded to include 53,000 added square feet of space, with enhancements to all five floors, including 24 operating suites for inpatient services.

Zavoral said the overall $812 million renovation was largely funded by Sutter itself. While the Ose and Adams families -- for whom the Ose Adams Medical Pavilion is named -- contributed the largest monetary gift in the history of the institution, Zavoral credits "the generosity of Sutter and its board" for floating most of the money.

Financially, the expansion may yield returns on the investment. While official numbers are not yet available, Dr. Bill Gilbert, a high-risk pregnancy specialist and Director of Women's Services at Sutter, estimates the hospital has seen an uptick in the number of patients to the tune of about 30 percent.

"It's like having an old car," said Gilbert. "You get comfy with it, and then you buy a new Ferrari or something. It's sort of the old adage, 'If you build it, they will come.'"

Gilbert reported universal praise among physicians and patients alike.

[Also: Health centers score $500 million from HHS to expand services, fund construction]

The Ose Adams Medical Pavilion houses the Sutter Heart and Vascular Institute and specialized operating rooms focused on heart surgery and pediatric heart services. In addition, Sutter Neuroscience Institute patients will be offered 10 private observation beds tailored for specialized care.

Other features of the project include a remodeling of the Buhler Specialty Pavilion, focused on oncology, neuroscience and cardiac services, which is linked by spanning structures to the Women's and Children's Center and the Ose Adams Medical Pavilion.

The campus project also includes the Sutter Capitol Pavilion, which opened in 2010, and houses operating rooms and imaging services. In addition to those amenities, Zavoral said part of the funds have been used to improve the community, with Sutter donating land to a nearby community theater, as well as building residential housing in now-defunct medical offices.

More photos:

The lobby of the new Anderson Lucchetti Women's and Children's Center has an open feel with a giant art installation hanging from the second-floor ceiling.

New maternity suites at the Anderson Lucchetti Women's and Children's Center

Twitter: @JELagasse