We prioritize local hiring, volunteering, purchasing, and investing to enhance the region’s economic health – providing opportunities for everyone from small businesses to construction contractors. Some examples:
Local Economy and Job Security
Targeted local hiring
Intentional hiring from traditionally overlooked zip codes contributes to job and income security, including for individuals who suffer from health disparities
Targeted local contracting
Connecting local and small businesses to contracting opportunities contributes to their growth
A regional economic powerhouse
Serving as a major driver of economic prosperity for both the Sacramento region and California
Some examples of our efforts:
OUR IMPACT
Spotlight: A regional economic powerhouse
According to an economic snapshot study, UC Davis Health’s direct expenditures of $1.84 billion in 2023 led to a total economic impact of $4.01 billion in the seven-county Sacramento region, or an additional $1.18 for every dollar UC Davis Health spends.
UC Davis Health had 19,144 employees in the region, and the economic activity generated indirectly and by the spending of its employees supported an additional 11,050 jobs in the region.
The report also calculates UC Davis Health’s statewide economic and employment impacts, including from spending and hiring for academic research.
OUR IMPACT
Spotlight: Aggie Square boosts economic impact
Aggie Square, the innovation district that opens its first phase on the university’s Sacramento campus in May, is expected to generate about $500 million in regional economic output and support 3,200 jobs annually when all phases are fully built out.
At completion, its construction is expected to be responsible for more than 12,100 construction-related jobs in the region, with an economic impact of $1.9 billion.
STRONG PARTNERS
Spotlight: Aggie Square community benefits
The Aggie Square project will co-locate business partners and community-based programs with UC Davis innovation and research. UC Davis, developer Wexford Science and Technology, and the city of Sacramento have agreed on a Community Benefits Partnership Agreement for the project based on input from local residents.
The agreement directs $50 million toward affordable housing in the neighborhood, thousands of jobs in construction and in the completed project, improvements to the Broadway and Stockton Boulevard corridors, and annual funding for community projects.
STRONG PARTNERS
Spotlight: Anchor Institution commitment
In 2020, UC Davis Health formally launched its Anchor Institution Mission (AIM) for Community Health. In partnership with the local community, UC Davis Health seeks to hire locally, volunteer locally, purchase locally, and invest locally.
For example, in the area of local workforce cultivation, over the past five years we’ve expanded outreach to underserved communities, collaborated with organizations to provide tailored guidance to job applicants, and launched programs that create new opportunities for employment and upskilling. In fiscal year 2024 we achieved a 20% local hiring rate, an increase from 14% when AIM started.
In the area of support for local, diverse businesses, we reported nearly $62 million in spending with small and diverse-owned suppliers in fiscal year 2023, an increase of 23% from the previous year. Also, local neighborhood spending accounted for more than $17 million. These outcomes represent significant progress toward supporting local business growth, especially in underserved areas.
More Believe in Better Highlights
Some recent examples of our ongoing efforts to advance health for all.
Medical student creates app to empower women and save lives
When second-year medical student Ijeoma Uche isn’t studying or researching, she’s plugging away at an app she co-created that’s gaining attention for reducing health disparities
Heart disease in women takes center stage at 20th annual UC Davis Health forum
The Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine Program hosted its 20th annual Women’s Heart Care Forum to educate women community leaders about preventing heart disease.
Popular speaker series to address Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s, autism research and more
The UC Davis MIND Institute’s Distinguished Lecturer Series will feature a variety of topics about neurodevelopmental conditions in 2025.
Southern California wildfire evacuation illustrates life lesson for future mental health provider
When a psych mental health student was forced to evacuate her Hollywood apartment during a recent wildfire, she and her class learned important life lessons about compassion.