UCI Health

Two nurses at UCI Health — Orange have been honored with the DAISY Nurse Leader Award for exceptional dedication to both patients and their co-workers. The honor recognizes nurses who typically do not have direct patient care, such as nurse managers, charge nurses and chief nursing officers. Read more about their dedication https://bit.ly/3KiDT86 #daisyaward #sunfloweraward #healthcareheros

UCI Health celebrated a huge milestone over the weekend, holding an open house for our new all-electric acute hospital, UCI Health – Irvine. Members of the community braved the rain to tour the facility, meet co-workers, get important health information and screenings, and take part in fun activities. UCI Health is dedicated to bringing the future of healthcare to Orange County. UCI Health – Irvine is a major step toward achieving this goal. Thank you to our friends and partners from UC Irvine and Anaheim Ducks for participating in our open house, as well as everyone who came out for it. UCI Health – Irvine opens its doors in December. To learn more about it, please visit https://bit.ly/4o7MRDc

In this new episode of the Live Well with UCI Health iHeart Radio podcast, Dr. Christopher Paiji, UCI Health gastroenterologist, explains how high-risk patients are screened for pancreatic cancer using alternating MRI and endoscopic ultrasound—and why he undergoes screening himself due to his family history. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and early detection can save lives. UCI Health offers advanced screening and comprehensive care for those at increased risk. Listen to the full episode at ucihealth.org/podcast

If daily life feels flat or unmotivating, it may be more than just stress, says UCI Health neuropsychologist Dr. Hayley B. Kristinsson. “Anhedonia can be a symptom of an underlying mental health condition such as depression,” she says. See how you can support yourself or a loved one https://bit.ly/48heuUz

NDM-CRE, a superbug that is highly resistant to certain strong antibiotics, is on the rise. Between 2019 and 2023, infections from it rose 460%. An increase of antibiotic prescriptions during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic may be behind it, says UCI Health infectious disease expert specialist Dr. Susan Huang. “Never before had so many antibiotics been prescribed for a viral disease,” she told The Washington Post. Read full story https://bit.ly/3LDtOTK

Khristine Felix, a nurse at UCI Health — Orange, has received the inaugural Excellence in Acute Care Nursing Award for her dedication to professional development, exceptional leadership and the positive impact she makes on both patients and colleagues. “Her commitment to professional growth not only benefits her own practice but also sets an example for the entire unit,” a colleague wrote of Felix in a nomination letter for Inpatient Nurse of the Year, for which she was a finalist. The Excellence in Acute Care Nursing Award is an endowed award recently created by a family to recognize and celebrate everyday excellence in acute care nursing. Read more https://bit.ly/49ToLZe

UCI Health has opened a clinical trial to test an investigational cell therapy for #lupus with the potential to give patients long-term remission of symptoms. The first-in-kind enhanced CAR T-cell therapy called FT819 has the potential to help patients suffering with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus who do not respond to current treatments, said Dr. Sheetal Desai, a UCI Health rheumatologist and principal investigator at the UCI Alpha Clinic, one of 10 U.S. clinical trial sites. One of the first California participants, a 41-year-old Irvine woman, has experienced a striking decrease in symptoms and improved quality of life, Desai said. Read full article https://bit.ly/3LBTJes

UCI Health — Orange has received an 'A' in the fall 2025 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. The designation is the 20th ‘A’ UCI Health has achieved since 2014, affirming its steadfast commitment to the high-quality care and safety of all patients. “Leapfrog’s continuous recognition of UCI Health highlights our role as a leader in patient safety in Orange County and beyond,” said Dr. Joseph C. Carmichael, chief medical officer and senior vice president at UCI Health. “UCI Health is honored to be ranked among the nation’s safest hospitals to receive care.” Read more https://bit.ly/4i2Km3K

Running alongside the UCI Health — Irvine campus and visible from many areas is the living, breathing San Joaquin Marsh Reserve. “We decided early on that we would not turn our back on the San Joaquin Marsh,” says Paul E. Da Veiga, director of planning, design and construction at UCI Health. “We wanted it to be part of the fabric of the entire medical campus.” As a vital part of the campus, ensuring it was protected both during construction and after opening became a critical goal. Learn more https://bit.ly/43qHVSk