Two new hospitals are set to open their doors in Orange County in the next few weeks, adding an expected nearly 2,000 healthcare jobs in the area.
One of those medical centers is the City of Hope’s new cancer hospital in Orange, which will open on Monday. It’s also one of only five cancer-specific hospitals in the country.
The new Orange County hospital looks like a luxury hotel lobby, which hospital executives say is by design.
“When you hear that diagnosis that you may have cancer, it is just so daunting. Anything we can do, take a little off your mind, that’s how you approach our campus,” said Edward Kim, physician in chief, City of Hope Orange County.
Kim said 18,000 people have already applied for jobs at the new hospital, and so far they have hired about 750.
“It felt this was my calling, I felt this was the perfect opportunity,” said newly hired registered nurse Rick Cervantes.
Cervantes said he is grateful to have landed a job in what’s been a very stagnant market.
“I’m fortunate, grateful. I do hear the talk a lot of people are looking for jobs, especially the new grads. We have thousands of new grads who have been looking for more than a year,” said Cervantes.
City of Hope’s new hospital opens just days before UCI Health Irvine’s debut, which will be the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital. This facility will open on December 10 and will provide 970 new health care jobs.
The OC Business Council says healthcare is one of the top sectors in Orange County and also one of the top employers.
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