University of Kwazulu-Natal

Uc Irvine S New All Electric Hospital Expected To Welcome Patients In

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
uc irvine s new all electric hospital expected to welcome patients in

UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris speaks to attendees during the grand opening of the health system's sixth hospital, UCI Health — Irvine. Orange, Calif. — UCI Health — Irvine officially opened its doors to the community and welcomed its first patients in a historic moment for the health system and Orange County. The seven-story, 350,000-square-foot, 144-bed facility is the nation’s first all-electric hospital and the sixth in the academic health system. It serves residents of coastal and south Orange County.

“We are thrilled to open UCI Health — Irvine, where our patients will benefit from innovative and state-of-the-art technologies and thoughtful design to create a welcoming sanctuary of healing for them and their families,”... Lefteris, president and CEO of UCI Health. “At UCI Health, we are driven by our desire to offer high-quality, friendly and easy-to-access care throughout Orange County and surrounding communities. Because of our talented caregivers and the co-workers who support them, the pioneering healthcare we provide is now closer to patients’ homes.” UCI Health‘s newest hospital is slated to start admitting patients on Dec. 7, hospital leaders said, opening a seven-story, 144-bed facility that UCI calls the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital.

The 350,000-square-foot building stands at the corner of Jamboree Road and Birch Street in Irvine and caps a $1.3 billion medical campus that includes a cancer center and ambulatory care building. Hospital officials say the new facility will serve residents of central, coastal and south Orange County and offer specialties including cancer care, cardiology, digestive health, neurosciences, orthopedics and spine, along with interventional radiology, catheterization... The hospital and adjacent cancer center are connected by a massive surgical “megafloor,” spanning the width of three football fields, with operating rooms, sterilization areas and flexible pre- and post-op recovery space. “This is a really historic thing,” said Chad Lefteris, president and CEO of UCI Health at a celebration Friday, Sept. 19, marking the completion of construction and being handed the keys for the health system’s sixth hospital, adding to its medical center in Orange. “We are finally returning to Irvine as a health system.

We’ve been up on the Orange freeway for a while and now we’ve returned fully to meet the needs in Irvine and the central and coastal communities.” The hospital will be the first of its size in the U.S. to run entirely on electricity. 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... 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

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. A new hospital at UC Irvine opens Wednesday and it will be all-electric — only the second such medical center, and the largest, in the country so far. People live through some of the toughest moments of their lives in hospitals, so they need to be as comfortable as possible. Hospitals traditionally connect with natural gas lines several times bigger than those connected to residential homes, to ensure that rooms are always warm or cool enough and have sufficient hot water. But burning that natural gas is one of the main ways that buildings cause climate change.

The way we build and operate buildings is responsible for more than one-third of global greenhouse gases. UCI Health–Irvine will include 144 beds and will be entirely electric. IRVINE, Calif. — Dec. 10 marked the official opening of UCI Irvine’s new medical campus: a seven-story, 144-bed general acute care hospital — including a 20-room, 24-hour emergency department — operated entirely on electricity. Located on an 11.6-acre site, the project also comprises the 345,000-square-foot hospital and 220,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center as well as parking structures and a central plant.

“UCI Health — Irvine embodies what it means to be a modern public research university,” said 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.” The $782.7 million project was completed by the progressive design–build team of CO Architects and builder Hensel Phelps. On the main level, the emergency department — open 24 hours — sits adjacent to the arrival plaza and parking area, enabling rapid access to care. Nearby are advanced imaging facilities, including CT scanners capable of capturing detailed images in seconds and AI-enabled MRI suites designed to speed diagnosis for time-sensitive conditions such as stroke or trauma. The physical layout was designed to minimize unnecessary movement for nurses, physicians and technicians.

Short, direct pathways link the emergency department, imaging services, operating rooms and inpatient units — supporting safer and faster care and enhancing the daily workflow for staff. The ambulatory surgery center will house outpatient surgery and procedure rooms, diagnostic and imaging services, oncology treatment and infusion facilities, clinical exam areas, a pharmacy and other support services. UCI is making medical and environmental history with the opening of America’s first all-electric acute care hospital set for Dec. 10. The $1.2 billion facility is designed to provide state-of-the-art patient care while working towards the University of California (UC) system’s goal to reduce 90% of its total carbon emissions by 2045. Located at the corner of Jamboree Road and Birch Street, the new Irvine Campus Medical Complex (ICMC) will serve as a center for acute and ambulatory care, advanced cancer treatment and research with 144-beds,...

The ICMC will include 24-hour emergency care and specialties in cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, spinal care, digestive health and oncology — all powered by clean electricity. The healthcare industry contributes to 8.5% of all carbon emissions, according to UCI Health. UCI Health’s existing medical center in Orange, Calif., relies on natural gas for about 25% of its power. Natural gas emits methane, a greenhouse gas much more potent than carbon dioxide. Hoping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, UCI considered early in the planning process simply cutting back on fossil fuels. However, after consulting with engineers, the university decided to go the extra mile and eliminate natural gas use entirely.

“The operation of this campus will have no emissions,” Joe Brothman, director of UCI Health general services, said in an interview with the LAist. “The energy that we’re utilizing is all green electricity that we’re importing.” The seven-story hospital with 144 beds is powered by solar energy and water. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025.

The first all-electric hospital of its size in the country opened in Irvine Wednesday as UCI Health's new facility aims to provide health care while reducing its carbon footprint. The acute care hospital was built on what used to be empty marshland at the corner of Jamboree Road and Campus Drive. Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are. "We are a 24/7 operation. We don’t even have a lock on that front door," Chad Lefteris, UCI Health CEO, said. "We are always on, 'How can we lessen impact on the environment?' -- something we set out to do from the very start."

University of California Irvine Health (UCI Health; Irvine, Calif.) has opened UCI Health – Irvine, the first all-electric hospital in the U.S., according to a news release. UCI Health – Irvine comprises a 7-story, 350,000-square-foot building with 144 beds, 24-hour emergency department (ED) with 20 treatment rooms, a bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy program, and imaging, lab, and pharmacy services. Specialty services include cancer, cardiology, digestive health, neurology, orthopedics, and spine care. Amenities for patients and visitors feature a second-floor dining room and patio, meditation garden, and outdoor patios. The hospital is on track to be certified U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum—the sixth U.S.

hospital to do so, according to UCI Health. Additionally, the project features one of the first all-electric acute care hospital kitchens and gardens and shaded parking structures topped by solar panels, which are designed to reduce solar heat gain by 85 percent. The opening of the hospital completes a $1.3 billion medical campus that also includes the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building.

People Also Search

UCI Health President And CEO Chad T. Lefteris Speaks To

UCI Health President and CEO Chad T. Lefteris speaks to attendees during the grand opening of the health system's sixth hospital, UCI Health — Irvine. Orange, Calif. — UCI Health — Irvine officially opened its doors to the community and welcomed its first patients in a historic moment for the health system and Orange County. The seven-story, 350,000-square-foot, 144-bed facility is the nation’s fi...

“We Are Thrilled To Open UCI Health — Irvine, Where

“We are thrilled to open UCI Health — Irvine, where our patients will benefit from innovative and state-of-the-art technologies and thoughtful design to create a welcoming sanctuary of healing for them and their families,”... Lefteris, president and CEO of UCI Health. “At UCI Health, we are driven by our desire to offer high-quality, friendly and easy-to-access care throughout Orange County and su...

The 350,000-square-foot Building Stands At The Corner Of Jamboree Road

The 350,000-square-foot building stands at the corner of Jamboree Road and Birch Street in Irvine and caps a $1.3 billion medical campus that includes a cancer center and ambulatory care building. Hospital officials say the new facility will serve residents of central, coastal and south Orange County and offer specialties including cancer care, cardiology, digestive health, neurosciences, orthoped...

We’ve Been Up On The Orange Freeway For A While

We’ve been up on the Orange freeway for a while and now we’ve returned fully to meet the needs in Irvine and the central and coastal communities.” The hospital will be the first of its size in the U.S. to run entirely on electricity. 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 ac...

“UCI Health — Irvine Embodies What It Means To Be

“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, p...