Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute moves to its new home on UC Irvine’s campus

UC Irvine officials Thursday opened the newest location for the university’s Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, which they say will expand the institute’s clinical, teaching and research efforts to advance care.

The institute first opened in 2001 and was until recently located in Costa Mesa. It was first known as the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine. In 2017, the endeavor grew with an additional $200-million gift from Corona del Mar philanthropists Susan and Henry Samueli.

The institute not only conducts research and provides student instruction but also provides clinical care. The new location is expected to expand room for that care with 42 rooms for examination, treatment and consultation, a lab, an infusion suite, a pharmacy, a nutritional education center, an intensive cardiac rehabilitation space and conference rooms.

Included are nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, yoga and group medical classes. Community members will also be able to attend yoga, tai chi, nutritional cooking classes and educational lectures and events there.

Susan and Henry Samueli speak during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute at UC Irvine.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

The new clinic will begin taking in patients as early as Monday, officials said. The research space within the facility is expected to open later this year, and university officials said community activities will be available in 2023.

The facility encompasses 21,432 square feet and is part of a larger $185-million health complex.

“The new center is the brick-and-mortar realization of our vision to make integrative care the national standard of care for all people,” said Susan Samueli, co-chair of the Samueli Foundation’s board of directors, in a statement. “Every person should feel hopeful, seen and heard as an individual when they’re engaging with the healthcare system, and the new center’s design and approach to care achieve that goal.

“We are proud to support UCI as it strives to be the national leader in whole-person health research, education and patient care. Seeing the new clinic open is truly a dream come true, knowing how many people in Orange County will benefit from this world-class care in a world-class facility.”

Howard Gillman, left, chancellor of UC Irvine, speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute at UC Irvine.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

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