It has been two years since East Campus Medical Center at UC San Diego Health became the health system’s third hospital in its growing network of care. Since then, an incredible amount of planning, coordination and investment has been completed to expand upon the leading-edge care available at the community hospital.
“At East Campus Medical Center, we are bringing high-quality, acute care closer to home for many of our existing patients while opening the door to academic medicine for many more,” said Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health. “With expanded services in cardiology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, urology, psychiatry and more, East Campus Medical Center is better meeting the needs of the nearly 30% of our current patients who live in east San Diego County and have traditionally traveled to Hillcrest for acute care.”
Overall, the average daily census at East Campus Medical Center has doubled since 2024. The capacity for emergency services and inpatient care throughout UC San Diego Health has increased. In the last two years, more than 4,000 patients have chosen to transfer to East Campus Medical Center primarily from the health system’s other two hospitals: Jacobs Medical Center and Hillcrest Medical Center.
“We are welcoming new patients to East Campus Medical Center, many of whom benefit from seamless access to our academic medical centers in Hillcrest and La Jolla for the complex, advanced care available only at UC San Diego Health,” added Maysent.
Additionally, due to the health system’s partnership with community physicians, the hospital has cared for more than 1,000 patients outside of UC San Diego Health, serving as a regional hospital for San Diego and Imperial counties.
“Not only are we helping offset capacity challenges at our other campus locations and serving patients throughout the county, but we’re increasing the availability for procedures that patients may have otherwise had to wait to receive,” said Nick Macchione, chief executive for East Campus Medical Center and chief health officer at UC San Diego Health. “Since February of 2025, we have seen a 37% increase in procedures done at East Campus Medical Center.”
According to Macchione, the teams who work and provide care at East Campus Medical Center have a shared goal for the future of the academic community hospital – to provide exceptional, quality care in a safe, comforting and supportive environment.
“We are continually looking at how to enhance the hospital experience for each patient that comes through our doors for care,” said Macchione. “We are incredibly proud of the many advancements our faculty and community physicians, nurses, social workers, technicians, support staff and management have made to date with more yet to come.”
Advanced clinical care powered by a community of health care professionals
As part of its 10-year vision, UC San Diego Health is taking a systematic approach to improving timely access to its services and care across the health system, including at East Campus Medical Center where care is provided by UC San Diego Health physicians working side by side with community physician affiliates.
“We have a wonderful partnership between our academic medicine faculty members and community physicians who have strong patient ties in the area,” said Michelle Ziemba, chief operating officer for East Campus Medical Center. “This truly benefits patients by providing continuity and relationship-based medicine backed by the latest research, interventions and access to clinical trials.”
Expanded care now available includes cardiology and advanced heart failure, gastroenterology, orthopedics, urology, psychiatry and more; with state-of-the-art technology upgrades in surgery, diagnostic imaging and critical care.
According to Ziemba, this model has resulted in patients receiving specialized treatments in a more timely and efficient way.
“We have created a culture of collaboration, compassion and continuous improvement at East Campus Medical Center. It’s been very rewarding to see the growth and how it’s had direct impact on patients’ lives,” said Ziemba.
In 2025, the urology team at East Campus Medical Center completed their 100th aquablation procedure , an advanced, minimally invasive treatment for enlarged prostate, one of the most common problems in men over 50 years old, according to the National Institutes of Health. With the help of robotic technology, real-time imaging and camera-aided cystoscopy and ultrasound, doctors can remove excess prostate tissue precisely with a heat-free water jet while leaving healthy tissue unaffected.
Currently, East Campus Medical Center is the only hospital in the health system that offers aquablation. The procedure takes approximately one hour and is performed under general or spinal anesthesia with no incision needed.
“Offering new surgeries is a direct reflection of how UC San Diego Health is investing in this hospital and addressing patient needs,” said Justin King, MD, medical director of surgery for East Campus Medical Center. “Prior to the acquisition, we could only operate out of two surgical suites. Now, we are operating in five. We have staff, we have advanced technology and we have the space to provide more services to more people in a timely fashion.”
Cardiovascular and emergency services at East Campus Medical Center have also expanded. The hospital now serves as a 24/7 Stroke and STEMI receiving center designated by the County of San Diego to provide immediate, specialized care for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), which is a severe type of heart attack. Additionally, an advanced heart failure unit opened in 2025, where patients can receive optimal treatment for their cardiovascular condition and prepare for procedures, such as left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).
Other services now provided at East Campus Medical Center include neurosurgery and telemedicine. Patients also have more convenient access to radiology procedures, such as cardiac catherization, and emergency care with wait times regularly under 15 minutes.
In December 2025, the hospital received a lead grant of $10 million from Price Philanthropies, which is designed to support the development and construction of the UC San Diego Health East Campus Behavioral Health Hub set to open in 2028. Once completed, it will include two inpatient psychiatric units, totaling 50 beds, and offering a full spectrum of outpatient services, including partial hospitalization and interventional psychiatry.
Two years into its transformation, East Campus Medical Center reached a defining milestone with University of California Board of Regents’ approval of a $322 million project in 2026 for a comprehensive renewal of its aging infrastructure and equipment and to advance seismic compliance. The investment at East Campus Medical Center extends the life of an essential community hospital that delivers high-quality care at a fraction of the cost of building new facilities.
“By modernizing the existing campus rather than replacing it, UC San Diego Health is making a fiscally responsible commitment to long-term access, safety and excellence in care for East County and the broader San Diego region,” said Ziemba.
Many other advancements currently in place will strengthen clinical care and enhance the patient experience across the medical campus. Construction at the hospital is ongoing as the health system invests in new patient rooms, outpatient clinics and surgery suites, a planned expansion in perioperative procedure recovery, advanced heating and cooling systems and new flooring, paint and windows throughout the facility.
In 2025, East Campus Medical Center received a top performing ‘A’ grade in safety ratings from Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that grades most of America’s medical centers each fall and spring. The hospital was also recognized by Vizient via their Quality and Accountability Scorecard by being ranked in the top third of community hospitals.
The Leapfrog and Vizient recognitions are in addition to accolades previously received by the health system, including the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospital” rankings in which UC San Diego Health has once again secured No. 1 in San Diego, alongside top national rankings for nine specialties.
“East Campus Medical Center is truly an exceptional place. Our hospital is nimble, effective and an incubator for innovation that is positively impacting patient care and health outcomes,” said Christian Tomaszewski, MD, chief medical officer for East Campus Medical Center. “The growth taking place here is not only benefiting patient experiences and health outcomes, but it is directly supporting the staff working here so we can continue to provide top quality care for our community every day.”
About UC San Diego Health
UC San Diego Health, the region's only academic health system, is dedicated to delivering outstanding patient care through commitment to community, groundbreaking research and inspired teaching. For 2025-26, U.S. News & World Report ranked UC San Diego Health as the best hospital system in San Diego and among the nation's best in nine adult medical and surgical specialties, including cancer, cardiology, geriatrics, neurology and pulmonology.
The 1,011-bed health system includes three hospitals — Hillcrest Medical Center, Jacobs Medical Center and East Campus Medical Center — as well as Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, Moores Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion, McGrath Outpatient Pavilion, and Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute. The health system also includes primary care and same-day services at clinics throughout Southern California.
For more information, please visit health.ucsd.edu , follow us on Facebook , X , Instagram , Threads , LinkedIn and YouTube and find the latest news at health.ucsd.edu/news .
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