Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) has announced an $8 million gift from the Tsao Family Foundation in Newport Beach, California, to establish a dedicated pediatric urgent care center.

The center will provide children with ready access to pediatricians—when their regular pediatrician is not available—providing care for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries, while helping reduce the need for an emergency room visit. Set to open in 2025, the new center—to be located in the southern part of Orange County—will be CHOC’s third such facility in the county and part of the hospital’s urgent care network, which also serves Los Angeles County to the north.

“CHOC’s urgent care centers provide a vital service to our patients and families, ensuring they have access to the right care at the right time,” said CHOC vice president of primary care Anita Sankaran Piskun.

“All families should have convenient access to expert, compassionate medical care for their children, even when the pediatrician’s office is closed,” said foundation founder Janie Tsao. “It is a true honor for our family to help support the establishment of a new CHOC pediatric urgent care center that will further that vision for this region.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Marco VDM)