Santa Clara Valley Health
Valley Medical Center
Salas O’Brien provided engineering design and consultation for upgrades to the Valley Medical Center’s central plant and IV Prep Pharmacy.
Our client
The Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System’s roots extend back to 1876, when the area’s first medical practitioner, Dr. Benjamin Cory, built on the present site. Today, the system provides high quality, compassionate, and accessible healthcare for residents of Santa Clara County.
Project highlights
Their challenge
When hospital leadership decided to undertake upgrades to the Valley Medical Center’s central plant and IV Prep Pharmacy, they needed a trustworthy engineering partner to ensure the upgrades’ success. Salas O’Brien provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design and advised on the process of implementation.
Our solution
The project began with design for an expansion to the central plant, which added a 1,200-ton steam-fired absorption chiller and cooling tower and connected them to the existing electric chiller plant. Our team also upgraded the medical gas system for the plant and provided construction administration, Office of State Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) submittals, field visits and reports, and site coordination. For the IV Prep Pharmacy in the medical center’s rehab building, our team provided design, support, and OSHPD coordination and submittal.
The results
With Salas O’Brien’s help on this project, the hospital received approval for rebate applications for the central plant, and all of the involved upgrades achieved hospital leadership goals.


