UC Regents on Thursday, Jan. 21, approved a $1 billion medical complex with a 144-bed hospital next to UC Irvine’s main campus. Their approval clears the way for the university and its medical arm to get started on UC Irvine Medical Center Irvine-Newport, a multi-building complex that will offer specialty care in oncology, neurosciences, children’s health and other areas. It will not replace the large medical center the university operates in Orange.