UCI Health — Irvine fulfills a vision
Academic health system’s innovative sixth hospital begins serving patients in December
Orange, Calif. — UCI Health — Irvine, the sixth hospital in one of California’s largest academic health systems, is getting ready to welcome patients.
Chad T. Lefteris, UCI Health president and CEO, spoke with CBS Los Angeles about why sustainability was a priority from the beginning for the all-electric facility.
“We’ve done so much in sustainability across the University of California system. It’s even harder to realize these goals in healthcare. UCI Health — Irvine is a 24/7 operation. We don’t even have a lock on the front door. We’re always on. So, how we lesson our impact on the environment was a real challenge that we took on during design process.”
He also touched on the innovative, state-of-the-art surgical megafloor, located under the plaza that connects the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center & Ambulatory Care building to the hospital.
Lefteris also spoke with the Orange County Business Journal about the hospital’s location next to the San Joaquin Marsh and how it will benefit patients and UCI Health co-workers.
“It was an early design intention to give our patients and co-workers a moment to take a breath.”
He also touched on Irvine’s continued growth and how the new hospital will meet the growing needs of the community in south Orange County.
“Irvine is one of the fastest growing ZIP codes, increasing the demand for high-quality healthcare. The new UCI Health — Irvine hospital meets this need.”
UCI Health principal project manager Jess Langerud, who has managed the construction of the new seven-story hospital, spoke with the Orange County Register about how the new location fulfills a vision to have a medical center on the UC Irvine campus.
“This really is the fulfillment of a promise made to this area when the university and medical school were established: to have a medical center on UC Irvine campus. It is a bit of a homecoming.”
UCI Health ― Irvine will be a full-service hospital with a range of specialties, including cancer, cardiology, digestive health, neurology, orthopedics and spine. Also onsite are advanced imaging, laboratory, pharmacy and a gift shop. A 24-hour emergency department will also serve the community.
The hospital completes the new medical complex in Irvine, which includes the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center & Ambulatory Care building and the Joe C. Wen & Family Advanced Care Center.
About UCI Health
UCI Health is one of California’s largest academic health systems and the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Established on July 1, 1976, UCI Health has grown into a 1,461-bed health system that includes UCI Health — Orange, UCI Health — Irvine, four Community Network hospitals and a growing network of ambulatory care centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties. As Orange County’s only academic health systems, UCI Health is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center based in the county, the region’s only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, American College of Emergency Physicians Gold Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department and a nationally recognized regional burn center verified by the American Burn Association. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people across Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County through excellence in patient care, research and medical education. Follow UCI Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.