Medical foundation expansion expected to create jobs in Dublin
By Robert Jordan, Contra Costa Times.
DUBLIN — The Palo Alto Medical Foundation is giving the Tri-Valley a healthy boost with the expansion of its Dublin clinic.
The nonprofit health care organization increased its presence in the Tri-Valley with additional services to its facility, the Dublin Center, on Dublin Boulevard.
Palo Alto Medical Foundation opened six new medical services at the Dublin Center, including allergy, general surgery and ophthalmology for its patient base that spans from Livermore up to Danville and has grown from 6,000 to 27,000 since it opened in 2007. The foundation now occupies all three floors of one of the Dublin Center’s two 66,000-square-foot buildings.
“There is a very young and growing community, ” said Katie Borgstrom, vice president of operations for the foundation’s Alameda Region, about the clinic’s patient base. “People don’t want to drive for health care and this was a chance to provide more services.”
The medical foundation’s expansion added 13 jobs to Dublin and is part of a larger boon of employment opportunities the city has added and will add over the next six months. Dublin expects to add over 500 jobs overall in the next four to six months, said Linda Smith-Maurer, Dublin’s economic development director.
In addition to Palo Alto Medical Foundation’s expansion, the Dublin Center’s second building will house ValleyCare’s Urgent care facility and Webster Orthopedic. Less than a block away, the software company Taleo is also expanding and civil engineering firm Fluor is increasing its presence at the Dublin Corporate Center. And, Epicor Software Solutions in Livermore is relocating to Dublin.
“The best economic development policy is retaining and growing existing businesses,” said Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti. “Another important piece to economic development strategies is making sure to bring in professional services to balance out retail.”
The Dublin Corporate Center, which opened in 2001, had a 30 percent occupation rate in 2009. That number is now up to 90 percent.
Palo Alto Medical Foundation began planning for expansion two years ago and the design and building took place in the past eight months, Borgstrom said.
The expanded facility will also allow Palo Alto Medical Foundation to offer more weekly sessions for new mothers and provide additional educational opportunities through its larger resource center.
