Community open house celebrates new facilities at UCI Health ― Irvine
Hundreds of community members, co-workers welcomed to mark historic expansion of access to academic medicine
July 22, 2024
UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Medical Director Dr. Richard Van Etten speaks at the opening of the newest location at UCI Health — Irvine.
Credit: Karen Tapia.
Irvine, Calif. — UCI Health hosted a vibrant community open house on Saturday, July 20, to celebrate the opening of the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building at the new UCI Health – Irvine medical complex. The afternoon event welcomed hundreds of community members and UCI Health co-workers to the new medical complex at 19200 Jamboree Road in Irvine.
The open house featured guided tours of the state-of-the-art medical buildings, offering visitors a firsthand look at the cutting-edge facilities and services available. Attendees also enjoyed a health fair, complete with informational booths, health screenings and family-friendly entertainment.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony marks opening
The highlight of the event was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building. UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris, UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman and Dr. Richard Van Etten, director of the cancer center, delivered inspiring remarks.
Lefteris emphasized the rapid development and the significance of the new facilities.
"This entire campus was designed with input from patients and our amazing caregivers, which once again puts the patient right at the center of everything. It’s a testament to what we can achieve when we remain steadfast in our focus to improve the health of our communities."
Gillman highlighted the importance of the new center for advancing healthcare and research.
"The University of California, Irvine, has long dreamed of building a world-class medical center in the southern portion of Orange County, expanding access to the very finest academic medicine. With the opening of this magnificent new facility, we're bringing that dream to life as a new era in the delivery of cancer care and treatment begins.
Van Etten discussed the impact of the new center on cancer care in the region.
"We hope that this will serve as a new resource for patients across Orange County, but particularly those in the southern part. Here, they will be able to access our nationally known experts and experience true multidisciplinary cancer care."
Offering comprehensive, specialized care
The Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care, which opened in late April, and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center are part of the $1.3 billion UCI Health – Irvine medical complex. These new facilities are designed to offer comprehensive and specialized care, utilizing the latest technology and research to improve patient outcomes.
The community open house was a testament to the dedication UCI Health has to serving the healthcare needs of Orange County residents. With the opening of these new buildings, UCI Health continues to lead the way in providing exceptional care and advancing medical knowledge.
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About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, a 459-bed, acute care hospital in Orange, Calif., four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and ambulatory care centers across the region. Recognized as a Top Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and 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.
About UCI Health — Irvine
UCI Health — Irvine, a new medical complex at the north end of the UC Irvine campus, is bringing unparalleled expertise and the finest evidence-based care that only an academic health system can offer to the communities of coastal and south Orange County. As part of UCI Health — which includes the flagship UCI Medical Center in Orange, Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and multiple outpatient care locations — the new 1.2 million-square-foot campus will offer key clinical programs in oncology, digestive health, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics and spine surgery. The nation’s first medical center powered by an all-electric central utilities plant, UCI Health — Irvine is home to the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care, a five-story, 168,000-square-foot medical facility offering multidisciplinary specialty care for children and adults, urgent care services, the Center for Children’s Health and the UCI Health Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building, a five-story, 225,000-square-foot structure. Coming in 2025: a seven-story, 350,000-square-foot, acute care hospital and emergency department.
