UCSF Health Advances Benioff Oakland Integration
The work will improve patients’ experience, offer new benefits for staff, and expand access to specialty-care services across the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
UCSF Health has announced a major step forward in advancing the integration of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and UCSF Health’s systems, infrastructure, and workforce.
On July 1, 2025, all Benioff Oakland staff will transition to University of California employment, enabling more than 2,800 Oakland employees to participate in UC’s benefits plans and take advantage of resources available to UCSF and UCSF Health employees.
The transition will align patient care services across the hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland, making care more consistent and enabling patients to move through the system more easily. This includes integrating call centers, streamlining scheduling, and aligning specialty services to give patients seamless care in the location most convenient for them.
“At the heart of this decision is our unwavering commitment to our patients and to our team,” said Nicholas Holmes, MD, MBA, president of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. “By integrating tools, protocols, and infrastructure, we’ll make it easier for children and their families to access the care they need in Oakland. A unified workforce will enable every patient we serve to receive seamless, equitable care, no matter where they enter the Benioff Children’s network.”
The move also will provide more training opportunities for Oakland staff and new career options for staff on both sides of the Bay. There will be no layoffs or reduction in base pay due to the transition.
Importantly, Benioff Oakland will maintain its status as a freestanding safety net hospital and certified level 1 trauma center, providing a critical service for children throughout Northern California.
Our vision from the start was to bring together two renowned children’s hospitals to increase access to exceptional care for children throughout Northern California.”
Expanding access to care
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals first affiliated in 2014 to pursue a shared vision of building one of the nation’s leading pediatric health systems. Over the past decade, the affiliation has led to remarkable progress, expanding access for children from all backgrounds to a network of world-class care. It also has brought significant investments in operations, IT systems, imaging technology and facilities to the pediatric hospital.
“Time and again, our two hospitals have demonstrated that they are greater than the sum of their parts, strengthened by the vibrant qualities each hospital brings to serve our community,” said Suresh Gunasekaran, UCSF Health president and chief executive officer. “By taking this next step together, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals will advance their collective vision to be places where patients receive exceptional care, employees thrive, and our hospitals have the greatest possible impact.”
The changes will also maximize the impact of UCSF Health’s $1.6 billion investment to modernize the Oakland campus. Announced last year, the investment includes a new hospital building expected open in 2031.
Fulfilling the vision of a pediatric health network
This step is the culmination of years of planning and deliberate actions toward fulfilling the original intent of the affiliation. While many programs and services are already aligned between the Oakland and San Francisco hospitals, separate structures with different roles and protocols had limited the hospitals’ ability to reach their full potential.
The additional alignment will allow the hospitals to address those differences and unite the staff as one team to serve patients more effectively. It will also align remaining IT systems, simplify employee support services, and create consistent and streamlined patient support and resources across the campuses.
Together, those changes will ensure that the most comprehensive complement of pediatric services will be available in the East Bay well before the new hospital building opens.
“Our vision from the start was to bring together two renowned children’s hospitals to increase access to exceptional care for children throughout Northern California,” said UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS, a pediatrician and leader who was involved in the initial affiliation. “It’s exciting to see that vision taking shape.”