Chad Lefteris is a CEO Influencer to Know
Bold leader chosen by Becker’s Hospital Review for propelling historic growth of academic health system
Orange, Calif. — UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris has been recognized as a CEO Influencer to Know by Becker’s Hospital Review.
Lefteris was among 61 health system and hospital CEOs chosen for their dedication to advancing healthcare. His bold innovation and transformative vision has propelled one of California’s largest academic health systems into an era of expansion that will provide greater access to exceptional care.
Becker’s says:
“Under his leadership, UCI Health — Orange has become one of the top 10 academic medical centers in the nation for quality and [has] earned numerous national awards for sustainability and patient care. Since becoming CEO in 2020, Lefteris has guided a period of historic growth, sustainability and innovation, including the creation of the UCI Health Community Network and the upcoming openings of UCI Health — Irvine, the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital, and the UCI Health Rehabilitation Hospital. Under his leadership, UCI Health has expanded access to academic medicine, advanced telehealth and home-based preventive care, and become a national model in sustainability.”
Established in 2024, the UCI Health Community Network comprises four community hospitals in Fountain Valley, Lakewood, Los Alamitos and Placentia.
UCI Health — Irvine, a seven-story, 144-bed general acute care hospital with a 24-hour emergency department, opens this month.
UCI Health Rehabilitation Hospital, a 52-bed, two-story facility, opens summer 2026. It will feature a specialized acquired brain injury unit, a dialysis suite, an imaging suite for onsite radiology, multidisciplinary gymnasiums outfitted with the latest therapeutic technologies, outdoor courtyards and other spaces designed to help patients return to daily living activities. The facility will be structurally designed for the needs of patients receiving acute inpatient rehabilitation care for stroke, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, amputation and other injuries and disorders.
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.