Catholic Healthcare West is building strength in the south. The healthcare system cinched a deal to buy 30 acres in Elk Grove for a medical campus with a hospital and other medical buildings. The price tag on the land grab was about $25 million. The purchase should close in early 2008 if the hospital system’s board approves the deal in September.
            Catholic Healthcare West has dedicated $200 million to the Elk Grove project over the next decade. A medical office building could open by 2010.
            The move comes at a time when the system is competing against Kaiser Permanente to offer Level II trauma service in South Sacramento. While an initial selection process favored Kaiser, the county won’t make a final decision until Nov. 6.