Uci Health Opens Nation S Largest All Electric Hospital In Irvine

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 18, 2025, 5:29 AM

uci health opens nation s largest all electric hospital in irvine

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 — 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 Health will open its new seven-story, 144-bed, all-electric acute care hospital — UCI Health Irvine — on Dec. 10, according to the Los Angeles Times. The facility will be the academic health system’s sixth hospital and complete its medical campus on Jamboree Road, according to a November news release. It follows the 2024 openings of the Joe C. Wen & Family Advanced Care Center and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building.

Hospital leaders said the hospital was designed with quality, sustainability and patient experience in mind. Patient rooms average 250 square feet and feature 75-inch smart TVs, access to natural light, nature-inspired artwork, and outdoor terraces and gardens. The hospital also includes one of the first all-electric kitchens serving a U.S. hospital and uses sustainable furnishings free of harmful chemicals. UCI Health Irvine will offer the following services: According to New University, the hospital supports the University of California system’s goal to reduce carbon emissions by 90% by 2045.

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. Orange, Calif. — UCI Health announced the significant completion of UCI Health — Irvine, the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital.

The milestone means moving into the 144-bed, seven-story, 350,000-square-foot hospital, can begin. When it opens in December 2025, it will be the sixth hospital in the academic health system, which is one of the largest in California. More than 200 members of the UCI Health and Hensel Phelps teams came together to celebrate and recognize the hard work and dedication the went into building a high-tech hospital of the future that... “We are extraordinarily proud of this state-of-the-art facility and the visionaries who have worked tirelessly to bring it to fruition. We thank each person who has contributed to this project,” said Chad T. Lefteris, president and CEO of UCI Health.

"Their work means that residents of coastal and south Orange County will have full and convenient access to collaborative, research-driven, next-generation care, hallmarks of academic medicine.”

Uci Health Opens Nation S Largest All Electric Hospital In Irvine

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