Beaming Up: Dignity Health's New Folsom Ranch Facility Reaches New Heights

Less than a year after breaking ground on one of the largest healthcare investments in Folsom’s history, Dignity Health reached another major milestone Tuesday as community leaders, healthcare executives, project partners and elected officials gathered to sign the final structural steel beam for the future Advanced Ambulatory Care Center in Folsom Ranch.

The ceremonial beam signing, commonly known in the construction industry as a “topping out” ceremony, marked completion of the building’s structural framework and another significant step toward opening the $123 million, 90,000-square-foot outpatient medical center in early fall 2027.

Held at the future medical campus at the corner of Alder Creek Parkway and McCarthy Way, the ceremony brought together leaders from Dignity Health, Mercy Hospital of Folsom, Nexcore Group, the City of Folsom, Choose Folsom, project contractors, architects and community partners who have helped bring the long-planned healthcare project from vision to reality.

For Dignity Health, Tuesday’s ceremony represented far more than another construction milestone. It reflected years of planning and a long-term commitment to expanding healthcare access as Folsom’s population continues to grow, particularly throughout the city’s rapidly developing southern neighborhoods.

Rob Marchuk, president of Physician Enterprise for Dignity Health in the Greater Sacramento area, said the new facility is being designed around one central goal — making healthcare easier, more convenient and more connected for patients.

“The Advanced Ambulatory Care Center is built around patient experience and quality,” Marchuk said. “It’s a one-stop for patients to come for their surgical needs, imaging needs and to see their providers. It’s all built around the convenience of the patient in mind.”

Unlike a traditional medical office building, the three-story center will consolidate multiple outpatient healthcare services that traditionally require visits to several different locations. By bringing physicians, imaging, urgent care and outpatient procedures together under one roof, Dignity Health expects patients to benefit from greater coordination between providers, fewer trips across the region for appointments and expanded access to specialty care closer to home.

When completed, the facility will include an outpatient surgery center, urgent care, advanced imaging, multi-specialty physician offices and an infusion center, providing residents with expanded access to specialized healthcare in a single location.

The medical center will offer services in orthopedic surgery, podiatry, gynecology, urology, vascular care, ear, nose and throat treatment, general surgery and pain management. Advanced imaging services will support faster diagnosis while urgent care will provide treatment for illnesses and injuries that do not require emergency room care. The addition of an infusion center will allow patients requiring specialized infusion therapies to receive treatment closer to home as part of the integrated campus.

The project also embraces the continued evolution of healthcare delivery. In addition to traditional office visits, the facility will incorporate telehealth services and remote patient monitoring, allowing physicians to remain connected with patients following surgery or treatment while reducing unnecessary trips back to medical offices.

The emphasis on coordinated outpatient care reflects a broader shift occurring throughout the healthcare industry, where advances in technology and surgical techniques have made it possible for many procedures and treatments that once required hospitalization to be safely performed on an outpatient basis. For patients, that means greater convenience, improved continuity of care and easier access to specialists within a single medical campus.

Marchuk said Dignity Health views the project as an important investment in one of the Sacramento region’s fastest-growing communities. “ We are proud to bring advanced, easily accessible care to one of the fastest growing communities in Sacramento,” he said.

Before concluding his remarks, Marchuk thanked the City of Folsom and members of the Folsom City Council for their continued partnership and support throughout the planning and construction process. He also recognized Sacramento Market President Dr. Tina Johnson, Mercy Hospital of Folsom President and CEO Lisa Hausmann, Mercy Medical Group, Mercy Radiology Group and the many clinical and community partners helping bring the project to fruition.

Following Marchuk’s remarks, Jim Hartman, executive vice president of real estate for Nexcore Group, provided an update on construction progress, telling attendees the project has continued to move forward despite weather-related challenges encountered during the early stages of development.

Hartman recalled that many of the same attendees stood under tents during last year’s groundbreaking ceremony as heavy rain soaked the construction site. Despite those early delays, he said the project has recovered lost time and is now ahead of schedule.

Steel for the building arrived several weeks earlier than anticipated, helping crews accelerate construction and complete the structural framework ahead of schedule. Hartman said the project remains on track for substantial completion in August 2027, with the first patients expected to begin receiving care the following month.

“The project’s going to deliver next August as the milestone completion,” Hartman said. “We’re on track, on schedule to get open in August, and our first patient, I believe, in September 2027.”

Hartman also praised the project’s construction partners for maintaining an outstanding safety record throughout the build.

“There haven’t been any accidents that I’m aware of,” Hartman said, crediting XL Construction for its commitment to job-site safety.

He also recognized the contributions of Perkins&Will, the nationally recognized architectural firm behind the project, along with steel contractor JD2, whose crews completed structural steel installation approximately three weeks ahead of schedule.

Nexcore Group, a national healthcare real estate developer specializing in nonprofit healthcare facilities, is partnering with Dignity Health on the project while investing in long-term healthcare infrastructure designed to serve growing communities. Hartman noted the company also places an emphasis on utilizing local contractors and skilled trades throughout construction whenever possible.

First announced as a $123 million investment, the Advanced Ambulatory Care Center represents the first phase of what Dignity Health envisions as a larger integrated medical campus for Folsom Ranch.

The project broke ground in October 2025 and continues Dignity Health’s longstanding presence in the community through Mercy Hospital of Folsom, which has served residents for more than three decades. As Folsom has expanded southward, healthcare providers have increasingly invested in the city’s growing population, positioning the community as an emerging regional destination for advanced medical care.

The new center has been thoughtfully designed to reflect Folsom’s “Distinctive by Nature” identity by blending healthcare, wellness and the surrounding environment while emphasizing preventive medicine, advanced outpatient procedures and family-centered care.

Healthcare leaders have said the project is intended to meet the growing demand for outpatient services as Folsom Ranch and surrounding neighborhoods continue to expand. It also reflects the broader transformation taking place throughout modern healthcare, where patients increasingly receive specialized treatment, diagnostic services and recovery support outside of traditional hospital settings.

Dignity Health has indicated the Advanced Ambulatory Care Center is intended to serve as the foundation for future healthcare expansion in Folsom Ranch. Depending on continued population growth and community demand, future phases of the campus could include an acute care hospital along with additional medical office buildings, creating a comprehensive healthcare destination capable of serving residents throughout Folsom and neighboring communities.

Once fully operational, the medical center is expected to employ hundreds of physicians, nurses, technicians and support personnel while generating additional economic activity through expanded healthcare services and future campus development. As residential growth continues throughout Folsom Ranch, healthcare leaders expect the campus to evolve alongside the community, providing residents with greater access to specialized care without leaving the city.

Tuesday’s ceremony concluded with healthcare executives, city leaders, representatives from Choose Folsom, project partners, architects, contractors and community leaders adding their signatures to the ceremonial steel beam before it was permanently installed atop the structure.