Newport Beach-based Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian is spending more than $1.4 billion to reshape healthcare access across Orange County, with three major developments unfolding in 2026: a $1.2 billion campus opening in September in Irvine, a $207 million property acquisition in Laguna Niguel, and plans to launch the county's first liver transplant program.
The hospital system's Sun Family Campus will open its final phase beginning with outpatient services on Sept. 14, the Cancer & Digestive Hospital on Sept. 17, and the Women's Hospital on Sept. 21. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19.
"We looked at the data for Orange County and saw three conditions where demand is high and infrastructure is low," Marcy Brown, Hoag's senior vice president and chief operations officer, told the Orange County Business Journal. "That's when it all started to come together."
The six-building Irvine complex, which broke ground in 2023, adds 155 patient beds, 11 operating rooms, and 120,000 square feet of ambulatory space. A 130,000-square-foot surgical pavilion opened in May 2026 as the first completed facility.
$207 million Ziggurat acquisition
Hoag's expansion extends well beyond Irvine. Acting through an affiliate called Laguna Ridge Health Care Development LLC, the hospital system paid $207 million for the 89-acre Ziggurat property at 24000 Avila Road in Laguna Niguel, the OC Register reported on June 30.
The pyramid-shaped brutalist structure, formally known as the Chet Holifield Federal Building, was built in 1971 and designed by architect William Pereira. It spans 1 million square feet.
CEO Robert Braithwaite called the campus a future "health and wellness village," according to The Real Deal. The purchase came after a contested process: Hoag lost a 2024 federal auction to a joint venture of Pintar Investment Company and Hilco Development Services, which bid $177 million. Hoag challenged the result in a lawsuit, the GSA rescinded that bid, and Hoag ultimately paid roughly $30 million more when the property was relisted.
GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst said the sale generated over $207 million in revenue and saved taxpayers more than $340 million in long-term repair costs.
Laguna Niguel Mayor Gene Johns said the city has not seen any development plans from Hoag. "It's a great opportunity for our city," Johns said on June 30. "It's going to create a lot of possibilities, but we don't know what Hoag's intentions are; they haven't brought any plans to us."
Orange County's first liver transplant program
On March 27, Hoag announced plans to establish the county's first liver transplant program, recruiting Dr. Aaron Ahearn from USC's Keck School of Medicine as surgical director. The program, which will also include kidney transplants, is expected to launch as early as 2027 pending regulatory approval, according to a Hoag press release.
Orange County's 3.1 million residents currently have no local liver transplant option, forcing patients to seek care outside the region. San Diego County, with a similar population, has two such programs.
Teresa Conk, Hoag's senior vice president and chief clinical institutes officer, told the Business Journal that the hospital is "leaning toward Irvine" for the transplant program's location but has not made a final decision.
What's next
Hoag's stated goal is to place a facility within a 10-minute drive of every Orange County household. The system has already expanded into San Clemente, Dana Point, Foothill Ranch, and Trabuco Canyon. It is not alone in the race: Providence Mission Hospital is investing $712 million in new facilities in San Clemente and Rancho Mission Viejo.
The Sun Family Campus ribbon cutting is set for Saturday, Sept. 19. No timeline has been announced for the Ziggurat redevelopment.
