Building all-electric hospital ‘the right thing to do’
UCI Health — Irvine was designed for efficiency, cost saving and community benefit
IN THE NEWS: The decision to build UCI Heath — Irvine, the nation’s first all-electric hospital, wasn’t simply about saving costs, Tony Dover, energy management and sustainability officer at UCI Health, tells Fierce Healthcare.
“We were doing it because it was the right thing to do. It was for decarbonization, resilience, and we’re mitigating our pollution for the community that we serve.”
The building is powered by both 100% clean energy it purchases through the University of California’s Energy Services Unit and solar panels on one of the parking structures, which generate 10% of its annual energy demand.
“The all-electric design gave us more efficiency. Of course we are concerned about electricity costs rising, and that’s why we supply and procure our own, because we can manage those numbers.”
UCI Health — Irvine is a seven-story, 144-bed general acute care hospital with a 24-hour emergency department.
Also on the complex are both the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building and the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care.
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, its newest facility, UCI Health — Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital, 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.