An ambitious project years in the making, City of Hope’s new Orange County hospital now joins its Lennar Foundation Cancer Center on its 72-acre Irvine campus. The seamless connection (both metaphorical and physical) between the two buildings aims to save lives and deliver breakthrough care for patients.
“It’s been a marathon,” says City of Hope Orange County President Annette Walker. “The opening of this hospital is the fulfillment of that continuum of care that we wanted to bring to Orange County cancer patients when we decided in 2018 to come here. Now there is a rejoicing and a relief from those patients who really needed us here.”
The $1.5 billion investment, which includes the new hospital, the adjoining cancer center, and five regional clinics, promises to provide O.C. patients with uninterrupted care throughout their entire journey of healing.
“Our cancer campus is now home to more than 100 highly specialized, world-renowned surgeons, physicians, and researchers with unsurpassed expertise in all types of cancers, moving us closer to a cancer-free future,” says Physician-in-Chief Edward S. Kim. “We are not content with the standard of care. We are setting a new one.”
“It goes without question that you will find yourself with not only the most advanced clinical leaders, but the advanced equipment that those clinical leaders need,” adds Walker. “Everything is brand-spanking-new and the best that can be bought at this point in history.”
The six-story, 73-bed hospital is prepared to offer everything from complex surgeries and advanced immunotherapies to novel clinical trials. And, like the cancer center, it’s designed with feng shui and patient comfort in mind.
“One of our founders back in the early 1900s said, ‘There is no profit in curing the body if, in the process, we destroy the soul.’ So while we provide these advanced scientific capabilities, we put them in a package that really helps the patient heal better.”
That includes a multi-faith spiritual care center that, through the use of immersive technology, allows patients to tap a touchscreen and transform the space into one of seven sacred settings: a chapel, mandir, mosque, temple, synagogue, shorelines, or an alpine forest.
“Historically, health care providers would have created a room that is either one denomination or a space that is so neutral and white it looks like a conference room,” says Walker. “But it doesn’t feel sacred or holy or like a place you can find comfort in. But I guarantee you, this place does.”
In addition, every floor has a fresh-air balcony. Every room has a window, a place for a family member to spend the night, and a piece of art donated by a local artist.
“When you walk in, your blood pressure should come down,” says Walker. “We’ve taken the world’s strongest, most leading-edge science, and packaged it in something soft. You feel more comfortable. Your family feels more comfortable. You feel better. And your treatments are more effective because of that. We have a saying at City of Hope that when we take a patient’s hands, we never let go. And we mean it. We absolutely mean it.”
“We’ve taken the world’s strongest, most leading-edge science, and packaged it in something soft. You feel more comfortable. Your family feels more comfortable. You feel better.” —ANNETTE WALKER, CITY OF HOPE ORANGE COUNTY PRESIDENT
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