Scripps Health has officially opened the new North Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, a major milestone in the San Diego-based health network’s long-term expansion. The $664 million facility was completed by a team led by McCarthy Building Cos. and Jacobs after nearly a decade of planning and construction.

Designed by architecture firm HGA, the 420,000-square-foot, eight-story inpatient building is a significant enhancement to the region’s healthcare infrastructure. It houses private patient rooms, leading-edge surgical suites, and a full range of services for women and newborns.

Among its maternity-focused features are 18 private labor and delivery rooms, including five antepartum rooms, as well as two cesarean section operating rooms and 24 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) beds. In addition, there are 38 post-partum beds to support the hospital’s delivery of more than 3,200 babies annually.

“The opening of the North Tower ensures that those infants and their mothers will continue to receive the very best care possible in a place that was built with the future in mind, allowing for services and technology to evolve as medicine continues to advance,” said Dr. Ronald Salzetti, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Scripps Clinic.

With the tower’s debut, the hospital now operates 495 licensed beds under Scripps, in addition to 36 NICU beds licensed to Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. The new building also expands inpatient services for cancer, stroke, orthopedics, spine, neurology, and trauma care.

Additional clinical capacity includes:

• 96 adult medical/surgical beds
• 12 flex beds that can convert to ICU use
• 9 operating rooms, including 2 equipped for robotic surgery
• 40 pre- and post-operative beds
• 12 observation beds
• A lower level housing 3 interventional radiology suites and an advanced imaging center

The North Tower is part of a broader investment in high-tech, patient-centered care, reflecting Scripps’ long-term vision to evolve with medical innovation.

This marks the second major healthcare milestone in June for the McCarthy-Jacobs team, following their joint completion of the $373 million Southwest Tower at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, as announced by project engineer CannonDesign.

Healthcare Construction Trends Highlighted

• Collaborative Delivery: The success of this project highlights a growing trend of long-term partnerships between builders and designers like McCarthy and Jacobs, particularly on high-spec healthcare projects.
• Specialized Services Expansion: With facilities like robotic surgery suites and NICUs, the tower supports the rising demand for precision medicine and maternal-child health.
• Flexible Capacity: The inclusion of convertible ICU beds shows a trend toward adaptable infrastructure that can scale for public health events or specialized care surges.

Implications for Regional Healthcare

‍The opening enhances access to advanced care in Southern California and strengthens La Jolla’s position as a regional hub for maternal, pediatric, and surgical medicine. It also showcases how hospital systems are designing future-ready buildings that align with evolving clinical practices and patient expectations.

Originally reported by Matthew Thibault in Construction Dive.