New UCI Health Center for Advanced Care to provide greater access to world-class care
North Campus facility will include Center for Children’s Health and adult specialty services
Irvine, Calif., Aug. 13, 2020 — The University of California, Irvine is bringing world-class healthcare services to coastal and southern Orange County with plans to build the UCI Health Center for Advanced Care, which will be home to the Center for Children’s Health, adult specialty care, urgent care and other services needed in the region for the entire family.
The 168,000-square-foot UCI Health Center for Advanced Care will be located in Irvine on Jamboree Road at the Birch Street intersection, in an undeveloped part of UCI’s North Campus area. This location will give residents greater accessibility to UCI’s world-class physicians, multidisciplinary care and university-backed clinical research. The planned expansion is critical to meeting the patient care needs of the rapidly growing Orange County region.
The University of California Board of Regents approved funding and construction for the $221 million facility on March 18. It will break ground in 2021 and is anticipated to be completed in late 2022, pending all legal and regulatory approvals.
A comprehensive facility for children and adult needs
The Center for Children’s Health will provide comprehensive pediatric outpatient services, including pediatric primary care, subspecialty clinics, rehabilitation and simulation services. In addition, the facility will advance UCI’s longstanding commitment to the region’s autism community when the Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders relocates here.
The facility will also include adult primary and specialty care services, comprehensive laboratory and radiology facilities, imaging services and urgent care. With this endeavor, children and adults will benefit from one-stop outpatient medical care because so many of their needs will addressed in this one facility.
“The UCI Health Center for Advanced Care will provide leading-edge treatments and drive innovation in pediatric and adult services in Orange County, fundamentally transforming the region’s healthcare landscape and offerings,” said Dr. Steve Goldstein, vice chancellor for health affairs. “The Center for Children’s Health will provide unparalleled continuity of care from birth through early adulthood, including specialty care for children with chronic conditions. This modern, easily accessible facility will provide exceptional treatments, integrative therapies and clinical trials for the entire family, bringing comprehensive, cutting-edge, whole person care close to home.”
Approximately 64,400 gross-square-foot of shell space will be dedicated to future buildout, providing flexibility for growth of clinical and administrative functions, and a parking structure with up to 800 spaces to serve the larger building.
Major economic impact to region
The UCI Health Center for Advanced Care is anticipated to contribute significant economic value to the region by creating construction and staffing jobs, as well as new corporate vendor and partnership opportunities for Orange County-based businesses. The growing need for health resources remains front-and-center for the populations served by UCI Health, and the Center for Advanced Care will bring an influx of skilled healthcare professionals to Orange County.
“The UCI Health Center for Advanced Care provides us with the opportunity to expand healthcare access, education and research in the community, the region and the nation. More patients than ever will have a chance to benefit from the premium services that only an academic health system dedicated to discovery, teaching and healing can offer,” said UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman. “With this new venue, we expect to attract top medical talent and create new opportunities for healthcare providers and other UCI faculty to collaborate on high-impact research and discoveries in order to improve and expand access to healthcare for people in Orange County and beyond.”
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act guidelines and UC guidelines for Implementation of CEQA, an initial study/mitigated negative declaration was prepared by UCI to analyze potential environmental impacts of the construction and operation of the Child Health and Adult Specialty Center. The IS/MND determined that impacts would be less than significant, no impact, or mitigated to a less than significant level. The Board of Regents adopted the IS/MND and its findings on March 18, 2020 in conjunction with the project design approval.
About UCI Health
UCI Health comprises the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, California. The 418-bed acute care hospital provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, and behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center features 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 and regional burn center. It is the primary teaching hospital for the UCI School of Medicine. 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 and Twitter.
About the University of California, Irvine
Founded in 1965, UCI 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, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
Media access
Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit wp.communications.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.