$8 million gift supports neurosciences clinic at UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, research at UC Irvine School of Medicine

14,910-square-foot neurosciences clinic is located on the fourth floor of the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care

UCI Health is pleased to announce an $8 million gift that will establish the J.W. and Sandra Mitchell Neurosciences Clinic as the new home for outpatient neurology and neurosurgical care at the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus. The gift also will bolster collaborative research in movement disorders within the Department of Neurology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine.

The 14,910-square-foot neurosciences clinic is located on the fourth floor of the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care and will encompass the specialties of neurology, neurosurgery, brain imaging, and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). The space includes 21 exam rooms, two treatment rooms, consultation and private office space for clinicians and staff.

“UCI Health is grateful for the generosity of the stewards of the Mitchells’ legacy,” said UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris. “With their support, we continue to improve access to the clinical innovation and lifesaving research of the world class UCI Health neurosciences program.”

UCI Health and the physicians of the UC Irvine School of Medicine are leading experts in neurology and neurosurgical care. The system is advancing research and treatment for movement disorders, including the recently launched incisionless essential tremors program and is examining the use of stem cells as potential therapy for Parkinson’s disease.

The gift is made possible by the J.W. and Sandra L. Mitchell Foundation trustees John Jacob “Jay” Swigart, Jr., Richard Goodman, Howard Schulman, Cecilia Goodman and Susan Laird. Together, the group has been instrumental in carrying out the philanthropic legacy of the Mitchell family.

“Philanthropic support is critically important in advancing research and standards of care for those suffering from neurological conditions,” said Dr. Claire Henchcliffe, chair of the UC Irvine School of Medicine Department of Neurology. “We deeply appreciate the vision of the Mitchells’ trustees in supporting these efforts; it is visionary, timely and will leverage fast-paced advances in the translational and clinical neurosciences.”

J.W. Mitchell, Jr. guided his business from the ownership of a Caterpillar loader in 1967 into the ownership and management for more than 2 million square feet of office and industrial space in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. An avid race car driver in the USAC Western States Midget Series, he suffered serious head injuries during an October 1999 race in Hanford, Calif. and was hospitalized in Long Beach. He succumbed to his injuries after many months in a coma and died in July 2000 at age 57. J.W. Mitchell’s wife, Sandra “Sandi” Mitchell, established the J.W. and Sandra L. Mitchell Foundation in 2016 and served as a trustee until her death at age 80 in February 2024.

“Neurological conditions affect so many families, and we believe that world-class, integrated care spanning neurology, neurosurgery, brain imaging, and physical medicine and rehabilitation is essential to giving patients and their loved ones real hope. UCI Health has proven itself to be a leader in that cause, and we are proud to memorialize the legacy of our dear friends J.W. and Sandra Mitchell. We look forward to the remarkable strides in neuroscience research, treatment and care that this clinic will make possible, and we hope this contribution helps bring us closer to a future where fewer families must face devastating diagnoses,” Richard Goodman said.

In December 2025, UC Irvine and the university’s health enterprise, UCI Health, officially opened the final phase of the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus when it welcomed patients to the 144-bed general acute care hospital and emergency department. Other facilities on the campus opened in 2024, including the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building and the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care . The complex will support the health system’s growing primary and specialty care network in coastal and south Orange County.