UCI Health — Irvine opens its doors

High-tech acute care hospital represents health system’s commitment to patients, community

Orange, Calif. — UCI Health — Irvine officially opened its doors to the community and welcomed its first patients in a historic moment for the health system and Orange County.

The seven-story, 350,000-square-foot, 144-bed facility is the nation’s first all-electric hospital and the sixth in the academic health system. It serves residents of coastal and south Orange County.

“We are thrilled to open UCI Health — Irvine, where our patients will benefit from innovative and state-of-the-art technologies and thoughtful design to create a welcoming sanctuary of healing for them and their families,” said Chad T. Lefteris, president and CEO of UCI Health.

“At UCI Health, we are driven by our desire to offer high-quality, friendly and easy-to-access care throughout Orange County and surrounding communities. Because of our talented caregivers and the co-workers who support them, the pioneering healthcare we provide is now closer to patients’ homes.”

The opening of the hospital completes the $1.3 billion medical campus, which also includes the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building. Both buildings opened in 2024.

Hospital services include a range of specialties, including cancer, cardiology, digestive health, neurology, orthopedics and spine. Also on-site are advanced imaging, laboratory services, pharmacy services and a gift shop. Additionally, a 24-hour emergency department with 20 treatment rooms will serve the community seven days a week.

The hospital is also the new home for Orange County’s first inpatient bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy program. Since 2020, UCI Health has treated more than 300 patients who have cancer and autoimmune disorders with the latest in cellular therapy.

Amenities for patients and visitors include:

• An inpatient and guest menu developed in collaboration with a local chef that reflects the local community, with dishes such as beef pho, ginger chicken bowls and marinated tofu
• A second-floor dining room and patio with floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the marsh
• More than 600 pieces of original works from California artists
• Sustainable, comfortable furnishings throughout the hospital, free from harmful vapors, materials and chemicals of concern
• A meditation garden and outdoor patios to promote healing and strength

The hospital also features:

• Private patient rooms averaging 250 square feet with floor-to-ceiling windows featuring marsh views
• 75-inch smart televisions in each room from which one can stream their favorite shows, review health education materials, view relaxing nature scenes or order a nutritious meal
• A garden-level surgical floor, the size of three football fields, with 10 large high-tech operating suites

Each patient floor includes:

• Large collaboration rooms to enable cross-functional training and learning that improves patient care and teamwork
• Lavender rooms that provide co-workers a soothing space with a view where they can decompress from stressful events

The facility is on track to be the nation’s sixth hospital to be certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum, the highest level of certification for exceptional sustainability performance, energy and water efficiency leadership, waste reduction and indoor environmental quality. It is also the nation’s first all-electric powered acute care hospital.

Discover more about UCI Health — Irvine.