Scripps’ new $263 million Lusardi Tower now welcoming patients
Patients are now being welcomed into the new Lusardi Tower at Scripps Health’s Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, marking a major expansion of healthcare capacity in North San Diego County.
The new three-story tower adds advanced technology, expanded surgical and critical care services, and dozens of private patient rooms designed to improve both care delivery and patient comfort. The facility includes a 16-bed intensive care unit, 36 private medical/surgical beds, a postpartum unit connected to the birth pavilion, and a perioperative unit for pre- and post-surgical care.
The Lusardi Tower is part of Scripps’ broader “Here for Good” capital campaign and ongoing master plan to expand healthcare access across the region. Hospital leaders said the investment reflects growing demand for advanced medical services in North County communities.
Intermountain Health launches new Behavioral Health Center
Mental health care in the Salt Lake Valley is getting a major boost thanks to an investment by Intermountain Health in a new state-of-the-art Behavior Health Center in Sandy that will significantly increase access to mental health care and specialized services for patients throughout Salt Lake County. The new 56-bed Behavioral Health Center at Intermountain Alta View Hospital, 9660 South 1300 East in Sandy, opens for patient care in June and doubles the number of patient beds for behavioral health care offered by Intermountain Health.
The new center includes a walk-in behavioral health access center for those in crisis, a specialized medical withdrawal management program, and a unique Maternal Mental Health Unit for new moms needing mental healthcare – the first of its kind in Utah.
Proposed partnership could transform North Carolina healthcare
A proposed strategic combination between Atrium Health and WakeMed Health & Hospitals could significantly reshape healthcare access across North Carolina. The organizations announced plans to join forces in a move they say would expand specialty care, behavioral health services and virtual care offerings while bringing a projected $2 billion investment into the region.
According to the announcement, the partnership would create more than 3,300 healthcare jobs over the next five years and support the development of new hospitals and outpatient facilities. Leaders from both systems said the combination is designed to help meet rising patient demand while strengthening clinical research, workforce development and access to advanced care closer to home.
The proposal would also establish what the organizations describe as North Carolina’s largest nonprofit behavioral health network, an area of growing concern for healthcare providers nationwide. Atrium Health, part of the larger Advocate Health system, has previously expanded through similar strategic combinations across the Southeast, including partnerships with Wake Forest Baptist Health and Atrium Health Floyd in Georgia.
Wellstar launches rural maternal health network
Wellstar Health System announced recently it is expanding access to maternal healthcare in rural Georgia through a new Rural Community Consortium serving nine counties identified as maternity care deserts. Backed by a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the initiative connects healthcare providers, public health agencies and community organizations to coordinate care and support for expectant and new mothers.