UC Riverside announces major expansion, plans for new teaching hospital and outpatient center

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- U.C. Riverside announced a major expansion to its School of Medicine, with a proposed outpatient facility and eight-story hospital to be built in Riverside.

During a ceremony on the property in the Canyon Springs Market Place, officials from the university signed a memorandum of understanding with the managers of the land, allocating 21 acres for the proposed medical center.

During the announcement, university officials said it will not only provide a place for students at the School of Medicine a place to practice but also provide sorely needed services for residents of the Inland Empire.

"We have the lowest primary care and specialty care ratios in terms of access in the state of California," said Tim Collins, the CEO of UC Riverside Health. "And our bed count per thousand is the lowest in the state as well."

The first phase of construction will be for an outpatient care center.

"There's diagnostic services, CAT scans, MRIs, some that we have in the area already, some that we don't have the capacity for, and even where we do have that capacity, we don't have enough," said UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox. "There's a whole set of diagnostic supports, but also interventions; cancer infusion, so you won't have to go somewhere else if you're a long-term chemo patient."

Following the outpatient care center, there are also plans for a hospital. Artist renderings indicate the hospital could be eight stories high.

Officials said they'll be paying special attention to the aesthetic design of the campus.

"There are beautiful walking paths that wind through quiet green spaces, away from the noise of the street," said Paula Purcell, the former executive vice president of the TDA Investment Group. "There is color, textures and smells; carefully chosen to awaken memory, spark comfort and reduce anxiety."

Officials said the health center will be paid for by the University of California. They said groundbreaking could take place, at the earliest, some time in 2027.