Building for the Future: St. Joseph's Medical Center's Groundbreaking Tower Expansion

[STOCKTON, California] – April 29, 2026 – Today, hospital leaders, community partners, elected officials and caregivers gathered to celebrate a major milestone for the future of healthcare in the San Joaquin Valley. Dignity Health’s St. Joseph’s Medical Center, a member of CommonSpirit Health, held a groundbreaking ceremony kicking off the start of construction on its new state-of-the-art patient tower expansion. 

Once complete, the new, nearly 200-thousand square foot, 5-story patient tower will add 144 beds, including 120 general acute care beds and 24 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, enhancing the hospital’s capacity to serve patients with complex and specialized medical needs.

“This groundbreaking reflects our ongoing commitment to the community,” said David Ziolkowski, President & CEO of St. Joseph’s Medical Center. “For more than a century, we have served the people of Stockton by putting humankindness at the center of everything we do—treating every patient as a person, not just a condition. This expansion allows us to elevate that promise even further, combining leading-edge technology, expanded capacity, and a healing environment for generations to come.”

The multi-phase expansion will modernize the hospital’s facilities and infrastructure. It will feature a new 10-room surgical suite and a significantly expanded emergency department, increasing capacity from 66 to 82 beds. The project will also include upgraded seismic safety features, a new parking structure, and two additional helipads to significantly enhance capacity and improve response times for critical patient transports, particularly those requiring immediate trauma or specialized care.

"This project represents an investment in both the health and economic vitality of the San Joaquin Valley,” said Julie Sprengel, California President, Dignity Health. “As communities across California continue to grow, we are focused on expanding access to high-quality care while supporting local economies—creating jobs today and building a stronger healthcare system for the future.”

For over a decade, our unique partnership with Kaiser Permanente has been instrumental in expanding access to high-quality care, bringing together two leading healthcare systems dedicated to our region's well-being. With the new tower, this profound commitment to our collaboration and comprehensive service deepens further, providing enhanced capacity to care for all community members and ensuring we are well-prepared for future healthcare demands.

Over the past four years, St. Joseph’s Medical Center has invested more than $297M in community benefits, amenities, and uncompensated care to the region. This reflects St. Joseph’s Medical Center’s commitment to extending health and wellness beyond the walls of the hospital. 

Construction of the new patient tower will be led by Layton Construction and is now underway as part of a broader, phased modernization plan.

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About Dignity Health California 

Dignity Health California is a nonprofit network of over 9000 physicians, more than 35,000 employees, 29 acute care hospitals, and 200-plus care-centers, including community hospitals, urgent care, surgery and imaging centers, home health, and primary care clinics. Dignity Health California provides award-winning care to communities in five primary markets across the state: North State, Sacramento, Central Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California. 

Dignity Health is a member of CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. Learn more at DignityHealth.org and CommonSpirit.org.