UCSF Medical Center receives $125 million gift to build ne...( The facility is sustainably designed...),Health

The facility is sustainably designed and is targeting gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Among other elements, its energy and water conservation measures, green roofs, and selection of non-toxic materials will be among the most extensive of any urban U.S. hospital, according to Cindy Lima, the project's executive director.

Bold Vision, Sustainable Plan

The effort is a bold move, but it is also critically important, Laret said. The combination of state requirements for seismic upgrades, vast technological changes over the past few decades and rapidly escalating demand in patient care are forcing top medical centers like UCSF to rethink their goals. The current economic climate has only exacerbated that, he said, making gifts such as this one even more critical.

"In the current environment, we cannot afford to think small," Laret said. "The investments we make must support bold visions that are attainable, sustainable and accountable. That's what UCSF is doing and that's what makes this project different."

UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children's Hospital are already recognized throughout the world as leaders in health care, providing innovative treatments, advanced technology and collaboration among clinicians and scientists.

The new complex will significantly augment UCSF's clinical enterprise, which includes medical centers at Parnassus Heights and the Mount Zion campus. UCSF also provides the medical care at both the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and San Francisco General Hospital. As a university focused solely on health sciences education, UCSF's clinical care is an integral part of the university's overall scientific mission and is closely linked with the laboratory research for which UCSF is world-renowned.

Building on Excellence

UCSF has one of the nation's highest-ranked children'
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