By HFT Staff

UCR Health announced a major expansion of its clinical footprint, with a signed letter of intent targeting an initial 21 acres in Riverside at the intersection of Valley Springs Parkway and Gateway Drive. The vision for the site will include an outpatient diagnostic center and possible future expansion. 

The announcement is the largest step by UCR Health toward a full healthcare footprint in the Inland Empire, which contends with both explosive population growth and an inadequate supply of primary and specialty-care physicians. 

The Inland Empire, with a population of more than 4.6 million, has about 40 primary care physicians per 100,000 people, well short of the 60-80 recommended by the California Health Care Foundation. 

UCR Health’s presence on the site is proposed to grow over the next decade with possible options to lease more space from an additional 22 acres of land. Any expansion will be subject to legal and regulatory requirements. 

The lease is in partnership with TDA Investments, which manages a 95-acre tract known as Canyon Springs Market Place on behalf of the Construction Laborers Pension Trust for Southern California. 

UCR Health, which sees more than 45,000 patients annually, is the healthcare provider component of the UCR School of Medicine. The beginnings of the School of Medicine date to 1974 with a partnership with UCLA. UCR opened its own medical school in 2013, graduating its first class in 2017. 

Since its launch in 2013, the medical school has graduated 454 physicians, with 26 percent completing their residencies in the Inland Empire as of 2024. Typically, up to three-fourths of the accepted School of Medicine students each year have ties to the Inland Empire, and almost half come from underrepresented communities. The school hosts pathway programs that support more than 1,200 students on their path to medical school and health or science professions. 

In fall 2023, the School of Medicine completed its largest expansion by opening a 95,476-square-foot education building. The building allows the school to grow its classes from 80 to 125 medical students.