Representative Tran Sounds Alarm Over Pediatric Unit Closures in Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley, CA - U.S. Representative Derek Tran (CA-45) sent a letter to Chad Lefteris, President and CEO of University of California, Irvine (UCI) Health, expressing deep concerns about the sudden closure of pediatric care units at the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and requesting frequent updates to workers and the community during this transition.

Read the full text of the letter HERE.

"I was deeply disappointed to hear about the abrupt closure of pediatric services at UCI Health Fountain Valley, which will result in significantly reduced access to hospital-based care for children and families in the surrounding community. Hospital-based pediatric units play a critical role in ensuring that children experiencing acute illness or medical emergencies can receive appropriate, specialized care. The loss of the pediatric department and PICU will have negative, cascading effects across Orange County's health care system and place an undue burden on families, who must now travel to alternative locations for their child's health care," wrote Representative Tran.

In March 2026, UCI Health shuttered the pediatric department and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital without advance notice to the public or to patients, posing a risk to children's health. National Nurses United reported that the day after the hospital eliminated its pediatric care services, a child arrived in the emergency department needing surgery, only to be redirected elsewhere. Representative Tran's letter seeks further information about the process by which UCI eliminated its pediatric units and highlights the urgent need for action to support continuity of care for children across Southern California.

Representative Tran remains committed to preserving vital access to affordable health care for LA and Orange County families. In July 2025, Tran co-led H.R. 4641, the Keep Kids Covered Act, alongside Representative Kathy Castor (FL-14), to ensure uninterrupted, low-cost health care coverage for all children enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Representative Tran also voted to permanently extend the Affordable Care Act's cost-saving tax credits, and co-sponsored H.R. 4849, the Protecting Healthcare and Lowering Costs Act, to codify those tax credits in law.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California's 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.