Kaiser Permanente breaks ground on new hospital tower at Sunnyside Medical Center

The event brought together Kaiser Permanente leaders, employees, community members, and elected officials to celebrate a major milestone for health care in the region.

The ceremony to break ground featured remarks from regional leaders and community partners, a performance by the Clackamas High School Choir, and interactive elements highlighting Kaiser Permanente's connection to the community and its vision for the future of health care.

Care for every stage of life

"Since opening our doors in 1975, Sunnyside Medical Center has been a place where lives are saved, families begin, and people come for care at every stage of life," said Wendy Watson, regional president of Kaiser Permanente in the Northwest.

"Today, it's incredibly special to celebrate this moment alongside our employees, community members, and local leaders - people who have all been part of Sunnyside's story. As we break ground on this new hospital tower, we're building on that legacy with a vision for the future that brings together leading-edge technology and a significantly reduced carbon footprint, a healing environment, and our deep commitment to helping our communities live longer and healthier lives for generations to come."

"Hospitals are more than buildings. They are where science meets compassion and where some of life's most important and caring moments unfold," said Leong Koh, MD, executive medical director of Northwest Permanente.

"For more than 50 years, Sunnyside has been a place where our physicians, nurses, and care teams have delivered exceptional care to this community, and this new hospital tower is a direct investment in their ability to continue that work. Designed for team-based care, advanced technology, and a healing environment, it will give our patients the privacy, safety, and comfort they deserve while supporting our clinicians in delivering the best possible outcomes. As Oregon's first fully electric hospital, it also reflects our belief that environmental health is public health, and demonstrates our responsibility to build a healthier future for the communities we serve."

The ceremony included alumni families from the neonatal intensive care unit to symbolize care at every stage of life. Attendees also took part in a "wishing tree" activity, sharing their hopes for the future of care at Sunnyside Medical Center on handcrafted medallions that will later become part of a permanent installation in the new hospital.

A highlight of the event was an augmented reality moment, where a digital visualization of the planned future hospital tower was revealed. The new 7-story, 615,000-square-foot hospital tower will feature leading-edge technology, expanded capacity, and modern patient amenities, including:

• 100% private patient rooms
• In-room telemedicine capabilities, advanced robotics, and image-guided surgical equipment
• Expanded emergency department capacity to reduce wait times
• Easy navigation for patients, staff, and visitors
• Natural light, green spaces, walking paths, and healing gardens

Oregon's first fully electric hospital

This hospital will be fully electric, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. The facility is also targeting LEED Gold certification. Once complete, it will become Kaiser Permanente's 87th LEED-certified building, adding to the largest group of LEED-certified health care facilities in the United States.

Sunnyside Medical Center first opened in 1975 and has served the Portland metro community for more than 50 years. Today, more than 2,300 doctors, nurses, and health care professionals provide care for tens of thousands of patients each year, perform thousands of surgeries, and deliver more than 2,000 babies annually.

The medical center is home to Kaiser Permanente's regional centers for neurosurgery and adult cancer care, a Level III NICU, and the Northwest Center for Heart and Vascular Care. It is also recognized as the only hospital in Oregon and Washington to have received Healthgrades' America's 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery Award for 10 consecutive years.

During peak construction, the project is expected to employ more than 600 local tradespeople, supporting the regional economy. When the new tower opens in 2029, the existing hospital building is scheduled to be replaced with additional parking, walkways, and outdoor spaces.

Sunnyside Medical Center is 1 of 2 Kaiser Permanente hospitals that serve Oregon and Southwest Washington; the other is Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, which opened in 2013.

View the fact sheet for the new Sunnyside Medical Center hospital tower.