UC Davis and Mercy collaborate on outpatient facility in Rocklin

New Placer Center for Health aims to meet area’s growing health-care needs

Catholic Healthcare West, which locally operates Mercy hospitals, and UC Davis Health System today announced plans for a joint outpatient medical facility that will bring more physicians, medical technology, and primary and specialty-care services to Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville in South Placer County, one of the fastest growing areas in California.

UC Davis and Mercy will share the lease on the new 66,000-square-foot facility, known as the Placer Center for Health, operating their respective offices providing primary and specialty-care services but sharing access to an outpatient pharmacy, clinical laboratory and array of diagnostic imaging services, including CT, MRI, ultrasound, general x-ray and mammography equipment.

Physician offices will be located on the top two floors of the building. Mercy-affiliated physicians will occupy 22,000 square-feet on the top floor of the three-story complex, with UC Davis physicians occupying the 22,000-square-foot second floor. Outpatient services, including imaging, laboratory and pharmacy, will be available on the first floor. Construction on the facility, which will be located near Highway 65 in Rocklin's new Orchard Creek Business Park, could start later this year. 

“We are pleased to collaborate with UC Davis Health System to better serve the needs of the growing community,” said Michael Uboldi, service area president for Catholic Healthcare West, which operates the local Mercy hospitals. “Together, we can address health-care needs in a cost-effective manner.”

“Working with Mercy on this new facility enables us to expand our health care presence in Placer County,” said Nabil Mussallam, senior associate director for hospital and clinics at UC Davis. “The Placer Center for Health will allow UC Davis to bring its expertise and services to a rapidly growing region.”

In addition to convenience, the Placer Center for Health will offer the community access to physicians who are affiliated with the outstanding programs and services available at the local Mercy hospitals. Mercy's physician presence will be comprised of both Mercy Medical Group doctors as well as independent, Mercy-affiliated physicians.

In addition to the large number of independent practices operated by Mercy-affiliated physicians throughout the area, Mercy Medical Group currently has eight multi-specialty offices throughout the greater region as a service of CHW Medical Foundation. This new state-of-the-art facility in Placer County will place Mercy doctors closer to the growing communities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln.

Residents also will be able to tap into a wide range of UC Davis services from physicians who specialize in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, cardiology, and oncology. An on-site infusion center with 11 treatment stations will offer cancer patients the convenience of expert cancer care closer to home.

UC Davis currently operates primary care clinics in 10 communities throughout the greater Sacramento area, including offices in Rocklin, Roseville and Auburn. The new center will include between 10 to12 primary care physicians and up to five full-time medical specialists, plus their nursing and support staff. The new center ultimately will replace the existing clinic in Rocklin, located on Five Star Boulevard.

“We're pleased to see the combined efforts of Mercy and UC Davis Health System in our area,” said Rob Braulik, assistant city manager for the city of Rocklin. “The Placer Center for Health is a highly effective way to bring a broad range of medical services to our community and continues the trend of attracting a variety of institutions to locate their high-quality professional services in Rocklin. In addition, it will mean dozens of new, high-quality jobs for our community."

The Placer Center for Health is part of local developer Mark Friedman's larger office and commercial Orchard Creek project. The facility is located within the 115-acre development and adjacent to approximately 15 acres also controlled by the University of California. UC Davis envisions that parcel as future home to a regional ambulatory cancer treatment center and outpatient clinic.

The Lincoln/Rocklin area of South Placer County currently has approximately 90,000 residents. It is undergoing significant growth and development, and its population is expected to rise by more than five percent per year through 2010.

Mercy and UC Davis Health System have a long history of working together to meet the needs of the region. In the late 1990s, UC Davis supported Mercy's efforts to establish a level II trauma center and helped in the training of physicians. The two health systems more recently collaborated to establish a cancer treatment center in Merced. Last year, in partnership with several other organizations, the two health systems helped create the Salvation Army's Interim Care facility in Sacramento to provide homeless patients with a safe and comfortable place to recuperate after being discharged from local hospitals.