Plans for a 144-bed hospital at UC Irvine were approved Thursday by the University of California Board of Regents.
The hospital would be part of an already approved UCI Health Center for Advanced Care, which will be part of a full-service academic health complex.
Officials expect the new complex on the Irvine campus to complement the university’s medical center in Orange.
“With today’s approval by the regents, UCI takes a giant leap toward fulfilling the visionary expansion of our campus and enhancing service to the community,” UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said.
“Once this project is completed, the UCI healthcare system will be unparalleled in this region, with two advanced medical centers, nationally recognized research units conducting hundreds of clinical trials, and a network of community locations stretching to al corners of Orange County.”
Construction is expected to start this year. Officials hope doctors will see the first patients in late 2022 and the hospital is expected to be completed in 2025. Officials say the cost will exceed $1 billion.
“The new medical center will be a hub for discovery, teaching and healing, building on a long history of multidisciplinary engagement that only an academic health system can provide,” said Dr. Steve Goldstein, the university’s vice chancellor for health affairs.
“Adjacent to the UCI academic campus, including the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, the new medical center will be a short walk from some of the world’s most prominent researchers, scholars and entrepreneurs. Talented medical professionals will have access to the vast knowledge found at the university — from STEM fields to humanities, art and social sciences. Integrating this comprehensive expertise will create an extraordinary health care experience centered on the highest-quality prevention and treatment.”