OCMA honors UCI Health 'Physicians of Excellence'
More doctors recognized than any other Orange County health system
UCI Health is home to more than 190 doctors who have been named 2024 Physicians of Excellence by the Orange County Medical Association (OCMA), more than any other hospital in the region.
OCMA's Physician of Excellence program, now in its 20th year, is regarded as having a fair, unbiased selection process for identifying physicians in the Orange County who have exhibited the skills, training and commitment to their patients and the community to stand above their peers as physicians of excellence.
The complete list, published in the January 2024 issue of Orange Coast Magazine, includes nearly 740 Orange County physicians across 81 clinical specialties.
Along with having more top doctors than any other health system in Orange County, UCI Health received its 17th consecutive "A" grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group. It was rated among the nation's best hospitals for the 23rd consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report. Vizient., Inc. recognized UCI Medical Center as a five-star hospital and a top 10 performer nationally in the 2023 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Annual Ranking. Vizient, Inc. also recognized the outpatient network at UCI Health as one of the top 10 ambulatory systems in the country.
In addition to the medical center campus in Orange, UCI Health physicians practice at primary care and specialty care locations across Orange County, including clinical offices in Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Tustin and Yorba Linda.
In coastal Orange County, UCI Health specialty care in cancer, breast health, digestive diseases, orthopedics, plastic surgery, neurosurgery and women's health is available in Costa Mesa. Urology, executive health, behavioral health and sleep medicine services are available at UCI Health Newport — Birch Street. Integrative services in cardiology, gastroenterology, pain management, dermatology, sports medicine and plastic surgery are offered at UCI Health — Newport Beach.
An innovative new medical campus, the 1.2 million-square-foot UCI Health — Irvine, also is under construction at the corner of Jamboree Road and Birch Street in Irvine, bringing access to the world-class experts at UCI Health to coastal and south Orange County. The Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care will open early 2024, followed by the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building later in the year. In 2025, a 144-bed acute care hospital begins serving patients with a 24-hour emergency department and services in oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics and digestive health.
To be eligible for OCMA recognition, physicians are required to:
- Be certified by a member board within the American Board of Medical Specialties, a member board of the American Board of Osteopathic Medical Specialties or an equivalent board recognized by the Medical Board of California or Osteopathic Medical Board of California
- Be in good standing with the Medical Board of California or Osteopathic Medical Board of California
- Have maintained their primary practice in Orange County for the last five years
- Have practiced within his/her specialty for the last five years
To be considered for the Physicians of Excellence award, doctors also are required to demonstrate achievements in at least two of the following criteria: physician leadership; teaching/mentoring; medical research/scientific advances; humanitarian service and unique contributions in community service.
UCI Health 2024 Physicians of Excellence
About UCI Health
UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, and the only academic health system in Orange County. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif. The 459-bed, acute care hospital, listed among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 23 consecutive years, provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center is home to Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.