Mission Hospital Opens Doors to New $80 Million Leonard Cancer Institute in South Orange County

Mission Viejo, Calif. (November 7, 2019) — South County residents now have one-stop access to the latest in innovative cancer treatments, cutting edge research and clinical trials as Mission Hospital officials announced the opening of a new standalone $80 million cancer center, the Judi and Bill Leonard Institute for Cancer Prevention, Treatment and Wellness, on its campus in Mission Viejo. The generous contributions of Orange County philanthropists Bill and Judi Leonard, who made the largest charitable donation in the hospital’s history, helped bring the facility, which will emphasize precision medicine and personalized care, into fruition.

The 100,000+ square foot, four-story Leonard Cancer Institute (LCI), the only comprehensive cancer center in Southern Orange County, will house a research and clinical trial program, a nurse navigation program, radiation oncology, imaging services, an infusion center and complementary therapies, as well as an education center and a demonstration kitchen.

“When we learned about the plans for the cancer institute, we knew this project was going to be phenomenal for South Orange County and we wanted to be involved,” said Bill and Judi Leonard, who made a historic eight-figure gift to support the project. “This cancer center is going to save so many lives.”

Outside of the Leonard’s donation, philanthropy has played an instrumental role in bringing this new $80 million facility and its many offerings to life. Thus far, nearly $26 million has been raised, or approximately 75% of the hospital’s philanthropic goal of $35 million. The $45 million balance was funded by Providence St. Joseph Health.

“We intend to treat people, not cancer, in an entirely new way,” said Seth Teigen, the newly appointed chief executive of Mission Hospital who said the facility’s faith-based roots and mission of service will set it apart from other cancer centers. “Our objective is to serve our community by providing improved access to world-class care and a full-range of services in one location; from a demonstration kitchen for cooking and nutrition classes, to research and cutting edge genomic and molecular testing.”

The new cancer center, which will focus on prevention, treatment and wellness, and offer a suite of services for each, will begin treating patients immediately. LCI boasts two Varian True Beam linear accelerators, a 35-bay infusion center, front line diagnostic imaging technology, a full-service rehabilitation gym and spa. And in keeping with the hospital’s promise to, ‘know me, care for me, ease my way,’ the facility will offer a healing garden, serenity chapel, wellness spa, boutique and a sacred space for those in need of head shaving or brassiere fitting.

“Having had a front row view of the Leonard Cancer Institute, from concept to unveiling has been a truly humbling and rewarding experience,” said Dr. L. Stuart Nagasawa, the inaugural medical director for Leonard Cancer Institute. “Based on our key learnings and the needs identified in our community, we have been tirelessly working to build this center and its programs and are eager to bring the weight of our work to bear in our collective fight against cancer.”

For more information on the Leonard Cancer Institute, visit: https://leonardcancerinstitute.com/.


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Media Contacts:
MGA for Mission Hospital
James Chisum
(562) 493-6023
JamesC@millergeer.com

Mission Hospital
Carrie Miller
(949) 364-4871 | (949) 230-6852
Carrie.Miller@stjoe.org

About Mission Hospital
Mission Hospital is a state-of-the art, 523-bed acute care regional medical center in Mission Viejo, California. As one of the busiest designated adult and pediatric Level II Trauma Centers in the state of California, Mission Hospital provides a full range of reputable specialty health care services with highly skilled teams treating a multitude of complex conditions. Services include a full range of expertise in cardiovascular, neuroscience and spine, orthopedics, cancer care, women’s services, mental health and wellness, head and neck, and a variety of other specialty services. Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach provides South Orange County coastal communities with 24-hour emergency and intensive care as well as medical-surgical/telemetry services, orthopedics, general and GI surgery. CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital is a 54-bed facility that is the area’s only dedicated pediatric hospital.
Fully accredited by The Joint Commission and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nursing excellence, Mission Hospital is highly recognized for its high quality of care, evidenced through a multitude of healthcare quality benchmarks. Mission Hospital is part of St. Joseph Health, a not-for-profit provider of integrated health care. Together, we work to improve the quality of life in the communities it serves in the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.

This release was published on openPR.