Center for Advanced Care

UCI Health will be breaking ground in fall 2020 for a new medical pavilion on the UC Irvine campus — the first phase in what is envisioned as a large medical complex and hospital to serve residents of Irvine, Newport Beach and south Orange County.

Located on Jamboree Road on the university's North Campus, the center will bring much-needed pediatric, adult specialty and urgent care to a fast-growing area where demand for medical care is increasing, according to Chad Lefteris, chief executive officer of UCI Health. 

It also will offer imaging and laboratory services and is designed to provide a continuum of care from childhood through adulthood.

The 168,500-square-foot structure is part of an ongoing expansion of UCI Health medical facilities across Orange County, giving more people access to high-quality, leading-edge university-based medicine. It is slated to open in late 2022 or early 2023.  

Expanding access to specialty care

“We are bringing world-renowned specialists to people in Irvine, Newport Beach and south county for outpatient care and, eventually, inpatient care,” Lefteris said. “We’re making it easier for people to get care and shortening their travel time.”

About 32,000-square feet of clinical and medical office space will be devoted to comprehensive pediatric outpatient services — including primary care, subspecialty clinics, rehabilitation and simulation. 

The building also will house the Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders and its specialists, who provide multidisciplinary care for children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, including speech therapy and rehabilitation services.

The range of pediatric subspecialties to be offered means families will be able to see several specialists in one visit, said Dr. Steven A.N. Goldstein, vice chancellor of health affairs for the university.

A nexus for child and adult care

“Complex pediatric care often involves visiting many specialists for one child,” said Goldstein.

“Very often those specialists are in different places. Our goal with this center is to have one site that will benefit the patient and family, allowing them to coordinate care in one visit across multiple specialties. It’s the right way to take care of anyone — but especially those children who need complex care.”

The remaining space will include medical offices for adult primary and secondary care. The building also will have an attached parking structure to allow easy access for families with children.

Unifying research, training and care

The center — combined with the current construction of the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences and the Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing — signals the realization of a long-held dream to unify medical services, research and training on the university campus and a complement to the services offered at the flagship UCI Medical Center campus in Orange, Goldstein said.

“This is the front door to what we foresee, in the years ahead, as a major footprint for healthcare in Orange County,” he said.

“The proximity to our university campus will make it easy for our physician-researchers to move back and forth from their labs to the medical complex, enabling them to spend more time developing new tests and treatments.”

Key services planned

Pediatric services

• Pediatric primary care
• Subspecialty clinics
• Neurodevelopmental rehabilitation-simulation
• Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Adult programs and shared services

• Adult primary care
• Breast health center
• Laboratory and radiology
• Urgent care