After more than a year of planning and regulatory approvals, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego and Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) have officially merged to form Rady Children’s Health. The merger, completed on December 31, 2024, unites two of California’s leading pediatric health systems to improve care, research, and patient outcomes statewide.
Announced in December 2023, the merger cleared a significant hurdle in November when California Attorney General Rob Bonta approved the deal, contingent on several conditions. These included maintaining acute hospital services, pediatric trauma centers, and specialty care in Orange and San Diego Counties for at least a decade. Additionally, the combined organization must continue accepting Medi-Cal patients, uphold community benefits, and preserve existing charity care levels.
Rady Children’s Health will operate under dual leadership, with Kimberly Chavalas Cripe, CHOC’s long-serving CEO, and Dr. Patrick A. Frias, CEO of Rady Children’s, serving as co-CEOs. Frias emphasized their commitment to putting children and families first, ensuring access to top pediatric care. At the same time, Cripe highlighted the merger’s role in advancing excellence in patient care, research, and advocacy.
The merged system now includes Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, CHOC Hospital in Orange, and CHOC at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. All hospitals will maintain their staff, local leadership, and governing boards while collaborating under the Rady Children’s Health umbrella. The network also manages primary and specialty care clinics across six counties.
This collaboration builds on a history of cooperation between Rady Children’s and CHOC. Officials believe the merger will improve patient outcomes, expand research capabilities, and help attract and retain top pediatric talent.
Despite the attorney general’s initial conditions, CHOC ultimately proceeded with the merger after reviewing the requirements. The deal was finalized on December 31, 2024, just before the end of the year.
Matthew Cook, CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association, supported the merger, stating it will enhance access to pediatric care and drive advocacy for better health outcomes across the region.
Families should not experience any changes in care or services due to the merger. CHOC will continue its affiliation with UC Irvine, while Rady Children’s remains partnered with UC San Diego for medical training and research.
The merger reflects a trend of hospital consolidations across California. In the past year, UCI Health acquired four hospitals for $975 million, while Adventist Health purchased two hospitals from Tenet for $550 million. In August, UCSF Health acquired two San Francisco hospitals from Dignity Health for $100 million.
