New hospital accepts first patients

Today marks a significant milestone in the history of UC Irvine – and in the life of the community around us. This morning the first patients are being welcomed at UCI Health – Irvine, our all-electric, state-of-the-art 144-bed acute care hospital adjacent to the main campus.

UCI Health – Irvine anchors a full medical center that also includes the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advance Care and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building. Whether having an annual wellness check or seeking more comprehensive care, patients will find a warm, welcoming environment designed with them in mind.

UCI Health is the only academic health system based in Orange County, powered by UC Irvine’s powerful research enterprise. Patients receive care from physicians and teams who are also researchers and educators, with access to clinical trials, advanced therapies and multidisciplinary expertise that are unique to an academic medical center. For residents of coastal and south Orange County, the new campus closes a long-standing gap in local access to academic medicine, bringing specialized care, from complex surgery to cancer treatment, closer to where people live and work.

UCI Health – Irvine is more than a new hospital. It’s a visible expression of UC Irvine’s long-range vision for health, sustainability and community impact. As UC Irvine continues to evolve to meet the needs of a community in continuous transformation, this medical complex demonstrates how thoughtful growth can expand access to care while respecting the environment and strengthening the region.

I am grateful to Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Steve Goldstein and UCI Health President and CEO Chad Lefteris for their visionary leadership in the creation of this new complex, and to Associate Vice Chancellor and Campus Architect Brian Pratt and his remarkable team for bringing the vision to life.

With UCI Health – Irvine, we are not just opening a building. We are opening the next chapter in how an academic public university serves its community — with curiosity, compassion and a deep commitment to the future.

Chancellor Howard Gillman