Acquisition of new hospitals presents 'unique opportunity'
UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris discusses his vision for blending academic and community healthcare
April 02, 2024
UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris, center, at last week's
ribbon cutting ceremony at UCI Health — Fountain Valley, one of the
newest hospitals in the academic health system.
IN THE NEWS: The historic acquisition of four community hospitals by UCI Health marks an opportunity for the health system to innovate how care is delivered and expand access to academic medicine.
UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris spoke to Becker’s Hospital Review about his vision for the only academic health system based in Orange County, the recent acquisition and the opportunities it presents for transforming care in the region.
"This is going to make it easier for patients to get seen and to have the highest level of quality and best outcomes. This acquisition allows us to do this literally overnight, as the access points have multiplied. Additionally, it increases our ability to accept more community hospital transfers of patients who need higher levels of care."
UCI Health now comprises its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, and four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and ambulatory care centers across the region. The acquisition adds 858 inpatient beds that, when paired with the 459 licensed beds in Orange, strengthens UC Irvine’s ability to meet the continually increasing demand for inpatient beds for a range of intensive and critical care needs.
More patients will have access to advanced therapies in the region’s largest and most diverse portfolio of clinical trials, ranging from cancer to neurosciences, digestive diseases, orthopaedics and internal medicine specialties. UCI Health has consistently placed in the top 10 for quality and safety among the nation’s leading comprehensive academic health systems and received the top 10 Clinical Research Achievement Award from the Clinical Research Forum.
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