UCI Health celebrates upcoming opening of UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital
Newest facility in system set to welcome patients by end of month
From left, UCI Health President and CEO Chad Lefteris; City of Irvine Mayor Larry Agran; UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital CEO Julie Myers; Lifepoint President Russ Bailey; and UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital Medical Director Dr. Jay Han.
Orange, Calif. — More than 150 UCI Health co-workers and community members attended the UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital ribbon cutting.
The academic health system’s newest facility is a 52-bed, 70,000-square-foot freestanding building and a joint-venture partnership with Lifepoint Rehabilitation. It is located less than two miles from UCI Health — Irvine, which opened in December 2025.
Rehabilitation is a critical part of helping patients regain their independence so they can return to their lives, to their family, to their community. That’s what this is about,” said UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris.
“Access to specialized care for patients recovering from stroke, traumatic injury, complex surgery and more in this hospital strengthens the continuum of care across all of the UCI Health system, providing a seamless transition from acute care to rehabilitation, and then to home.”
The four-story acute rehabilitation facility features a specialized brain and spinal cord injury unit, an independent living suite where patients can practice daily home activities, as well as the latest therapeutic and robot-assisted technologies designed to help patients return to home life.
“It was about two and a half years ago that many of us were here. It was a patch of dirt and we had shovels in our hands to celebrate the groundbreaking,” said Dr. Jay Han, medical director of the UCI Health rehabilitation program.
“And here we are, standing beside a brand-new, four-story, state-of-the-art rehabilitation building right here in Irvine, California. It’s just amazing. I’m very proud of everyone today.”
On-site physicians and healthcare professionals will also conduct research to advance rehabilitative care for patients in the region and beyond. The hospital will serve as a living laboratory for new and emerging technologies and therapies.
Additional UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital features for patients and visitors include:
- 52 private rooms with an abundance of natural light, along with a bathroom, shower, and small sitting area for family and visitors
- A state-of-the-art brain injury unit with a dedicated space featuring innovative therapies to enhance recovery
- A large gym that encompasses a majority of the fourth floor, including a simulated car and mock kitchen
- A fourth-floor outdoor courtyard, featuring walking paths with varied surfaces, garden and a small putting green
- Small group recreation spaces on the second and third floors
- A large dining area with outdoor seating
As part of the only academic health system in Orange County, the new hospital will also present opportunities for patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, severe burn, polytrauma, amputations and injuries to participate in clinical research that has the potential to advance medicine.
Learn more about UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital.
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.