January 21, 2025
Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego (Rady Children’s) announced today that the merger between their parent companies has closed, creating a new combined healthcare system called Rady Children’s Health.
Following a rigorous process that included approval by the California Office of the Attorney General, community hearings, and other regulatory reviews and approvals, the merger closed on Dec. 31, 2024. The first official day of Rady Children’s Health was Jan. 1, 2025.
CHOC and Rady Children’s announced merger plans in December 2023, after more than a decade of collaboration. Both approached the merger from positions of clinical excellence and financial strength, and with the goal of creating one of the nation’s most advanced pediatric healthcare systems dedicated to:
- improving patient outcomes in Southern California;
- accelerating research and innovation that lead to new treatments and cures;
- retaining and attracting top talent across all functions and specialties;
- increasing access to pediatric care;
- promoting health equity; and
- training the next generation of pediatric physicians and health care workers.
Kimberly Chavalas Cripe, who has served as the president and CEO of CHOC since 1997, and Patrick A. Frias, MD, who was appointed president and CEO of Rady Children’s in 2018, will be co-CEOs of Rady Children’s Health.
“This merger marks a pivotal moment in our organizations’ rich histories and highlights our commitment to achieving unparalleled excellence in patient care, education, research and advocacy,” says Cripe. “Together, we are poised to make an even greater impact on the health and well-being of children for generations to come.”
“Our shared vision puts children and their families first,” added Patrick Frias, MD. “Our goal is to ensure families have access to the very best practitioners, treatments and technology available in pediatric medicine.”
CHOC and Rady Children’s will build on their respective affiliations with the University of California and its medical schools at UC Irvine and UC San Diego—relationships that are vital to advancing pediatric research, training and education.
“Children require access to health care, from prevention to critical care, that is tailored to their unique needs and provided by specially trained clinicians in collaboration with families involved at every stage,” said Matthew Cook, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital Association. “By combining the strengths of two outstanding organizations, Rady Children’s Health will enhance access to top pediatric providers, and advocate for policies, practices and performance improvements that will benefit children and families throughout the region.”
Rady Children’s Health is comprised of three hospitals – CHOC Hospital in Orange, CHOC at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego – and a growing network of primary and specialty care centers spanning six counties.
Each hospital will maintain separate medical staff, local governing boards and onsite leadership to ensure they continue to meet the unique needs of their respective communities, while providing the new benefits of an integrated healthcare system.
Families and patients should expect no interruption to services or access to resources and will remain the decision-makers on where they bring their children for care. All hospitals, clinics and facilities will continue their daily operations as usual.
