Alameda County Wins Statewide Award

From Alameda County: The new Acute Care Tower at Highland Hospital, centerpiece of a $668 million modernization of the historic Oakland hospital, has been selected to receive the Large County Award in the 2017 Public Projects Awards of Excellence, sponsored by the California Counties Architects and Engineers Association (CCAEA). The award will be presented in April during the statewide County General Services Association (CGSA) Conference in Sacramento. By winning the Large County Award, the Highland Acute Tower Replacement Project is also eligible for the CCAEA’s top prize, the Grand Award, which will be announced at the CGSA Conference.

The 9-story Acute Care Tower opened in April 2016 as the centerpiece of a multi-phase rebuild, to comply with State seismic safety laws, at Highland – the cornerstone of Alameda County’s public health care system. The campus-wide rebuild is the largest construction project ever funded by Alameda County. It also represents a vital public investment in the County’s safety-net health system that will ensure first-rate care is available to all residents – regardless of their ability to pay – for decades to come.

CCAEA is honoring the Highland project for its contributions to the overall community, its environmental features and its benefits to the local economy.

As one of three counties receiving CCAEA Awards, Alameda County was selected based on a five-part evaluation of the Highland project that reviewed community benefits, cost-saving measures, aesthetics, sustainability, innovation, creative funding and public-private partnerships.

“We are thrilled that this monumental project at Highland Hospital is being recognized in this way,” said Susan S. Muranishi, Alameda County Administrator. “This project marks a bold investment by Alameda County in its safety-net health care system, and it is gratifying to see the many ways that investment is continuing to pay dividends for the entire community.”

The California Architects and Engineers Association is a non-profit service organization that supports municipal, public sector architects, engineers and capital project staff across California. The mission of CCAEA is to provide interpersonal networking and professional development opportunities, exchange knowledge and information, and promote professional development of California county architectural and engineering professionals.

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