Jill Tomczyk Architect, Executive director of strategic programs, UC Davis Health System (Sacramento, California)
Jill Tomczyk has acquired a wealth of experience in design, construction, and project management within the University of California system, first working at the University of California, Davis academic campus for more than two decades.
In 2019, Tomczyk joined UC Davis Health (UCDH), where she’s currently overseeing more than $5 billion in development projects, including a 1 million-square-foot replacement bed tower, 265,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery facility, central utility plant expansion, the Folsom Medical Care Clinic, renovation of 12 operating rooms, multiple parking structures, and several other critical initiatives for UCDH.
Among these notable projects is the replacement bed tower at the UC Davis Health Medical Center Campus in Sacramento, Calif. The California Tower project, which broke ground in July 2024 after two years of make-ready construction work, is expected to be completed in 2030 and represents the cornerstone of UC Davis Health’s $7.8 billion campus-wide capital program to prepare the system for the future of healthcare through the pioneering of an acuity-adaptable platform.
Tomczyk’s expertise in collaborative contract delivery has been essential in managing the complex project, ensuring it meets the highest standards. The project features 353 new private inpatient rooms, with 241 able to convert to intensive care units with air isolation on demand, enabling UCDH to respond more effectively to surge events such as pandemics, wildfires, or other unforeseen crises.
In addition to her project work, she’s a champion of progressive design-build (PDB), an emerging project delivery method in the healthcare design and construction industry. Tomczyk has been at the forefront of implementing PDB, proving its transformative potential through several high-profile projects, including the California Tower project.
By involving the design-builder early in the process and prioritizing qualifications over pricing, she ensured that the project benefits from a collaborative environment where designers, engineers, contractors, and clients work together from the project’s inception. This integrated approach allows for real-time problem-solving and decision-making, reducing delays and enhancing the quality of the final product.
For the 48X Complex, a $589 million, 265,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center facility scheduled to open this summer, she championed PDB, which allowed the 100-exam room project to be completed less than four years after initial planning.
She’s also committed to women’s leadership and diversity in the healthcare industry. Recently, she helped to launch the Women in Healthcare Northern California chapter and was elected to its board of directors, where she actively promotes the inclusion of diverse voices in leadership roles.
Her advocacy for PDB as well as a robust, diverse workforce, is not only impacting her own projects but inspiring other healthcare organizations to adopt new methods and strategies, helping to transform how healthcare facilities are designed and built.
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