Beyond The Blueprint A New Kind Of Hospital

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 17, 2025, 2:44 AM

beyond the blueprint a new kind of hospital

When the first patients arrived at UCI Health — Irvine during its Dec. 10 opening, they stepped into a new standard for American healthcare: a seven-story, 144-bed acute care hospital that is both part of the region’s only academic health system and the nation’s first all-electric acute... Tucked along the edge of the 300-acre San Joaquin Marsh Reserve, it brings together cutting-edge medicine; flexible surgical and intensive care spaces; a chef-inspired, culturally attuned menu; and a tranquil setting framed by native... “UCI Health — Irvine embodies what it means to be a modern public research university,” says UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman. “We are extending world-class, research-driven care into the community in a way that is compassionate, forward-looking and deeply rooted in this place we call home.” Orange County’s only academic health system

UCI Health is Orange County’s only academic health system, powered by UC Irvine’s world-class public research university. Working across disciplines, our physicians and teams turn discovery into impact for the more than 5.6 million people we serve, giving patients access to clinical trials, advanced therapies and multidisciplinary expertise available solely at... Orange, Calif. — When the first patients arrived at UCI Health — Irvine during its Dec. 10 opening, they stepped into a new standard for American healthcare: a seven-story, 144-bed acute care hospital that is both part of the county's only academic health system and the nation’s first all-electric acute... It is also the growing system's sixth hospital.

Tucked along the edge of the 300-acre San Joaquin Marsh Reserve, it brings together advanced medicine, flexible surgical and intensive care spaces, a chef-inspired, culturally attuned menu, and a tranquil setting framed by native... “UCI Health — Irvine embodies what it means to be a modern public research university,” says UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman. “We are extending world-class, research-driven care into the community in a way that is compassionate, forward-looking and deeply rooted in this place we call home.” UCI Health is Orange County’s only academic health system, powered by UC Irvine’s world-class public research university. Working across disciplines, our physicians and teams turn discovery into impact for 5.6 million people, giving patients access to clinical trials, advanced therapies and multidisciplinary expertise available solely at an academic medical center. The four schools in the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences — medicine, nursing, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, and population and public health — along with its centers and institutes of health,...

Teach. Heal. Something momentous is happening on a large piece of land situated just off Jamboree Road and Birch Street: UC Irvine is about to open the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital. Under development for years, this ambitious $1.2-billion project is aiming to push the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare and sustainability, while also building in enough flexibility to allow for updates and expansion as... It’s what Chad Lefteris, the president and chief executive officer of UCI Health, refers to as “future-proofing.” Since I first learned about this project I’ve been itching to get an inside look, and I finally got that opportunity earlier this month, just ahead of a community open house planned for Nov.

15 and the first patients arriving on Dec. 10. What I saw did not disappoint, and if all goes well, this first-of-its-kind facility will provide a blueprint for others to follow. UCI years ago identified the need for a healthcare hub in the area, as many patients were traveling outside of Orange County for medical treatment. Dialogues with clinicians & HIT professionals, clinical leadership, and industry innovators on integrating healthcare design into technology deployments to tackle complexity, drive innovation, improve patient care, & foment transformative change. Dr.

Scott Erdley, former Director of Simulation and Clinical Skills Lab at SUNY Buffalo and a nationally recognized leader in nursing education, joins the conversation to explore how nursing simulation has evolved from basic mannequins... He shares real-world examples that show how simulation builds clinical judgment, sharpens communication, and prepares nurses for rare, high-risk situations. The discussion connects education, design, and emerging technologies to demonstrate why simulation plays a critical role in patient safety and workforce readiness. Todd Frantz, Paul Zieske, Ali Youseff -RTLS 2.0 & Beyond UCI Health — Irvine offers a new kind of hospital, a new kind of patient experience When the first patients arrived at UCI Health — Irvine during its Dec.

10 opening, they stepped into a new standard for American healthcare: a seven-story, 144-bed acute care hospital that is both part of the region’s only academic health system and the nation’s first all-electric acute... Tucked along the edge of the 300-acre San Joaquin Marsh Reserve, it brings together cutting-edge medicine; flexible surgical and intensive care spaces; a chef-inspired, culturally attuned menu; and a tranquil setting framed by native... “UCI Health — Irvine embodies what it means to be a modern public research university,” says UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman. “We are extending world-class, research-driven care into the community in a way that is compassionate, forward-looking and deeply rooted in this place we call home.” Orange County’s only academic health system When the first patients arrived at UCI Health — Irvine during its Dec.

10 opening, they stepped into a new standard for American healthcare: a seven-story, 144-bed acute care hospital that is both part of the region’s only academic health system and the nation’s first all-electric acute... Tucked along the edge of the 300-acre San Joaquin Marsh Reserve, it brings together cutting-edge medicine; flexible surgical and intensive care spaces; a chef-inspired, culturally attuned menu; and a tranquil setting framed by native... “UCI Health — Irvine embodies what it means to be a modern public research university,” says UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman. “We are extending world-class, research-driven care into the community in a way that is compassionate, forward-looking and deeply rooted in this place we call home.” UCI Health is Orange County’s only academic health system, powered by UC Irvine’s world-class public research university. Working across disciplines, our physicians and teams turn discovery into impact for the more than 5.6 million people we serve, giving patients access to clinical trials, advanced therapies and multidisciplinary expertise available solely at...

The four schools in the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences – in the areas of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, and population and public health – along with its centers... Teach. Heal. In this AMDIS Roundtable episode, Eve Cunningham of Cadence, Caitlin Torrence of WellSpan, and Camille Bradley of Baylor Scott & White share what it takes to turn digital experiments into scalable, durable clinical programs. They outline the patterns behind failed pilots, the design principles that drive adoption, and the operational discipline required to move from promising ideas to enterprise-wide change. Their lessons span virtual care, AI tools, workflow redesign, and clinician engagement, giving listeners a clear view of what separates stalled initiatives from sustained transformation.

Families now expect digital tools that work seamlessly, speak their language, and reduce the burden of care. In this episode, Dr. Yaa Kumah-Crystal of Vanderbilt, Dr. Natalie Pageler of Stanford Children’s, and Dr. Sarah Rush of Akron Children’s explore what it takes to build a pediatric digital front door that meets those expectations. They discuss real stories from the bedside, the complexity of teen confidentiality, the promise of telehealth, and how emerging tools such as ambient documentation and wearable data reshape family engagement.

Their insights show how thoughtful design can make pediatric digital care more intuitive, humane, and accessible. Hospitals are racing to integrate AI, but too often, nurses (the largest group of users)are left out of the conversation. In this episode, Dr. Jing Wang, Dean of Florida State University’s College of Nursing; Dr. Athena Fernandez, Senior Director of Clinical Informatics at Penn Medicine; and Troy Seagondollar, former Nursing Informatics Leader at Kaiser Permanente, share how putting nursing leadership at the center of AI design ensures smarter tools,... From trust and transparency to governance and training, this discussion reveals why healthcare’s AI future must start with nursing.

In this episode, healthcare communications expert John Elms, CEO of JH Elms & Company, shares how design thinking can transform the way hospitals connect technology and care. He explores how user-centered design drives adoption, how governance and measurement ensure success, and why aligning communication tools with real clinical workflows improves both staff experience and patient outcomes. From interoperability to cultural change, Elms makes a clear case for designing systems around people—not platforms. In this episode, Michelle Lingner, Nurse Practitioner at ECU Health, joins Kris Baird and Keith Washington to explore what it means to lead without a title. Drawing from her experience in orthopedic trauma at a thousand-bed Level I trauma center, Michelle shares how mindset, communication, and consistency turn everyday interactions into acts of leadership. Her story shows how small, intentional actions—like choosing positivity, closing communication gaps, and leading by example—can change culture from the inside out.

Beyond The Blueprint A New Kind Of Hospital

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