By Dan Hounsell

When healthcare systems undertake new construction projects that address the most urgent needs of the communities they serve, the result more often than not is a project that meets the needs of all involved.

Consider the case of 1500 Capitola Road, a health and housing campus in the heart of Santa Cruz County’s Live Oak neighborhood that broke ground in May, according to Healthcare Construction+Operations. Nearly 15 percent of Live Oak School District students are homeless, thousands of adults do not have a doctor, and 78 percent of adults on Medi-Cal do not have a dentist. The 3.7-acre health and housing complex is designed to increase access to healthcare and affordable housing for the most vulnerable in the community.

The six-building project’s first phase includes a 20,000-square-foot medical clinic and 11-chair dental clinic. Santa Cruz Community Health has been serving the medical and mental health needs of underserved Santa Cruz County residents since 1980, with a special focus on families. The new clinic will provide medical, behavioral health, specialty, and pediatric care.