UCI Health announces affiliation with Corona Regional Medical Center
Priorities include enhancing cancer, stroke and perinatal-neonatal care, major hospital expansion planned
November 19, 2014
UCI Health and Corona Regional Medical Center are pleased to announce a comprehensive affiliation that will enhance the depth and variety of specialty healthcare services available in Corona and nearby communities. A major hospital expansion project will accompany this affiliation.
“Our goal is to transform healthcare in west Riverside County,” said Mark Uffer, CEO and Managing director of Corona Regional Medical Center. “The affiliation with UCI Health complements our strengths, brings residents a variety of clinical services normally available only from an academic medical center and allows local patients to be treated closer to home.”
This transformation of Corona Regional Medical Center includes recently approved expansion plans that include an entirely new building. This new building will include a larger emergency room that more than doubles the size of the existing space and creates shelled space above that will be designed for future private patient rooms.
Corona Regional is a subsidiary of Universal Health Services Inc. The expansion and an affiliation with a prestigious university health system reflects the strong commitment UHS has toward meeting the needs of the growing communities along the Interstate 15 and Highway 91 corridors, Uffer said.
“We are pleased to provide the residents of the Inland Empire access to the clinical expertise we’re known for as an academic medical center,” said Terry A. Belmont, CEO of UC Irvine Medical Center. “The area is growing and it is a privilege to formalize the longstanding relationship we have with Corona Regional and the area’s residents.”
The agreement will initially focus on developing several key specialty services supported by UC Irvine’s clinical and research expertise:
- Stroke telemedicine — Minutes count when treating a stroke. Backing up Corona Regional’s stroke program with the resources of UCI Health and its Joint Commission-certified Comprehensive Stroke Center gives the community instant access to the region’s greatest concentration of fellowship-trained stroke neurologists and surgeons.
- Cancer services — The two institutions will explore ways to bring the resources of UCI Health’s National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center to the Inland Empire. The UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of only 41 in the United States and is dedicated to excellence in cancer treatment, prevention, research and education. Its specialists in medical and surgical oncology offer access to more than 150 ongoing clinical trials that reflect the latest cancer treatments.
- Maternal-fetal medicine — The affiliation includes plans to create a perinatal services program in Corona, building on Corona Regional’s obstetrical and gynecological program and UCI Health’s expertise in managing complex and high-risk pregnancies. This agreement formalizes a years-long relationship in which UC Irvine’s medical faculty assisted physicians at Corona Regional to manage difficult pregnancies and deliveries through the resources of the UCI Health high-risk perinatal and regional neonatal intensive care services. The two organizations will also explore jointly developing a neonatal ICU at Corona Regional.
This affiliation is a natural extension of a longstanding connection between the greater Corona area and UC Irvine Medical Center. Many residents have roots in and commute to work in Orange County. UCI Health has provided services to Corona-area residents for decades, including more than 525 last year who required tertiary care such as complex neurosurgery, high-risk perinatal, trauma and cancer services. This agreement strengthens the continuity of care for Corona Regional patients who need primary, specialty and tertiary services, as well as access to new healthcare resources.
Corona officials are enthusiastic about the announcement.
“I am elated that the expansion is finally coming to fruition, as the residents of Corona will benefit from more modern facilities and higher levels of care,” said Corona mayor Karen Spiegel. A longtime supporter, Spiegel has worked closely with the Corona Regional administration for a decade on expansion plans. “We have worked hard to change the face of our city and to create a healthier community — one that we can all be proud of.”
Spiegel said the project will bring much needed healthcare services to the growing community and views the academic and clinical affiliation with UCI Health as a major contribution to the quality of life for Inland Empire residents.
Corona Regional Medical Center, a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc., is a 238-bed community hospital network comprised of a 160-bed acute care hospital and a 78-bed rehabilitation campus. Services include the only locked psychiatric unit in the service area, emergency services, general acute care services, home health and hospice services, and the only hyperbaric wound care center in the service area. Corona Regional is located in Riverside County- bordering Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties- offering healthcare to approximately 275,000 people. Information about patient care or employment opportunities with Corona Regional Medical Center can be obtained by calling 951-737-4343 or visiting our website at www.coronaregional.com People seeking help in finding a physician or specialist can contact Direct Doctorssm Plus, a free physician referral service of CRMC at 1-800-882-4362. Follow us on Facebook.
UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 412-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 14 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center is home to Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 28,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. Located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities, it’s Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy.