ENCINITAS — Scripps Health officials on Monday celebrated the completion of the new Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, adding dozens of private patient rooms, a new intensive care unit and expanded surgical support space as North County’s demand for health care services grows.
The 140,000-square-foot, three-story tower is scheduled to begin receiving patients on May 20, according to Scripps.
Hospital executives, physicians, philanthropist Warner Lusardi and Mayor Bruce Ehlers marked the building’s completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the Lusardi Tower sign outside the facility.
“The demand for health care services in North County continues to grow, and Scripps is investing in the region to ensure that we will be able to meet that rising demand in the coming decades,” Scripps President and CEO Chris Van Gorder said in a statement.
The expansion increases the hospital’s licensed bed capacity from 187 to 235 beds, according to Scripps.
The building is named after Warner Lusardi and his late wife, Debbie Lusardi, longtime supporters of Scripps Health who committed $25 million toward the construction of the tower.
“My father taught me the value of giving when I was a young boy, and I’ve lived my life believing that the opportunities and blessings that come to you should be shared with others,” Lusardi said in a statement. “Scripps Encinitas is a critical community asset, and it’s gratifying to help ensure that it will continue to benefit countless people here for generations to come.”
The tower includes 36 medical-surgical beds, a 16-bed intensive care unit, a 16-bed postpartum unit connected to the birth pavilion and a 26-bed perioperative unit for patients before and after surgery. The ground floor also features a new cafeteria for staff, patients and visitors.
Scott Eisman, physician chief operating officer at Scripps Encinitas, said the expansion is intended to help the hospital address increasingly complex medical needs in the region.
“Growing communities experience a greater complexity of medical conditions, and they need more health care resources to address them,” Eisman said in a statement.
The project was designed for patient comfort, healing and staff efficiency, according to the hospital. Private rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, natural lighting, local artwork and advanced medical equipment.
A three-story mural visible through a glass stairwell along Santa Fe Drive depicts North County landscapes, including flower fields, Torrey pines and California poppies.
Construction took place on the active hospital campus and required coordination to avoid disrupting patient care, officials said.
Scripps said work will continue on a second phase of the project, a planned 42,000-square-foot addition scheduled for completion in 2029 that will include new surgical suites, a cardiac catheterization lab and expanded imaging facilities.
The Lusardi Tower is the latest component of a long-term expansion plan at the Encinitas campus. Previous projects included the opening of a 68,000-square-foot medical office pavilion in 2021 and the Leichtag Foundation Critical Care Pavilion in 2014.
