UCI Health focusing on fundamentals for 2026
President and CEO Chad Lefteris shares his mindset heading into new year
IN THE NEWS: The end of every calendar year allows hospital and health system leaders to reflect on how best to remain nimble to meet today’s complex healthcare environment.
Chad T. Lefteris, president and CEO of UCI Health, spoke with Becker’s Hospital Review about his focus and mindset moving into 2026.
“Despite the volatility facing healthcare and higher education across the country, we’re focused on the fundamentals we can control. This means supporting our people, stewarding our resources wisely and staying grounded in our mission to deliver exceptional care.”
Lefteris oversees all clinical and patient-serving operations of the six-hospital, 1,461-bed academic health system, including UCI Health — Orange, its flagship medical campus, and UCI Health ― Irvine, the UCI Health Community Network, which includes in Fountain Valley, Lakewood, Los Alamitos and Placentia, affiliated physicians in Orange and Los Angeles counties and ambulatory care centers across the region.
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.