UCSF Mission Bay campus opens Sunday

Carolyn Tyler Image
ByCarolyn Tyler KGO logo
Thursday, January 29, 2015
UCSF opens Mission Bay campus Sunday
UCSF will open its new Mission Bay campus on Sunday.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Sunday is a big day for some doctors and patients, and it nothing to do with the Super Bowl game. That's because patients will be moving from the Parnassus campus to the brand new UCSF Hospital in Mission Bay.

After nearly a decade of planning and building, the $1.5 billion UCSF Medical Center, with its three state of the art hospitals is preparing to open.

"We live right here in a technology center and it doesn't take too much to think about how do we take advantage of all that," said Mark Laret, UCSF CEO.

You've probably never seen anything like the fleet of robots roaming the halls 24/7 delivering meals, medication and more.

And the MRI and CT SCAN suites where patients can choose soothing music, and children can be virtually transported to Muir Woods or on board a cable car.

Salesforce.com founder Marc Benioff and his wife Lynne donated $100 million for the Children's Hospital that now bears their name, but he says the entire tech community contributed.

"Whether it was giving money, designing technology, creating a patient solution," said Benioff.

The patients rooms are designed to give them more control. With a customized data system, and access to social media. Beyond the gizmos, there's room for families to stay.

Sally McDonald's daughter Maggie was in and out of UCSF until her death. She is on the UCSF Family Advisory Council.

"Asking for the thoughts is one thing, but the fact they listened was even more exciting," said McDonald.

Akshay Sharma has bone cancer and will receive what he hopes will be his last chemo session in this new healing space

"Its just a great feeling to not be in the zone of medicine and treatment all the time," said Sharma.

Sharma rang a bell Thursday to symbolize what will soon be a new lease on life and to celebrate the opening of this new center.