Orange County’s most advanced cancer research and treatment.
07/23/2025
Students of Hope 💙 Spreading Comfort, One Care Kit at a Time
Inspired by her mother’s cancer journey, Santa Margarita Catholic High School student Samantha Beltran launched the City of Hope Club — a group of compassionate students dedicated to supporting patients during treatment.
Together, they assembled care kits filled with lotions, blankets, puzzles and other thoughtful items to help ease infusion days. Elly Garcia, cosmetology oncology specialist at Marybelle’s Boutique, accepted the donations on behalf of City of Hope Orange County.
Thank you, Samantha and the entire SMCHS City of Hope Club, for showing what hope in action looks like.
07/23/2025
When retired teacher Karen Henka Minnie started feeling lightheaded and noticed a bulging vein in her neck, she never imagined it would lead to a lung cancer diagnosis. But when she read the words small cell lung cancer on a screen — without even a phone call — Karen knew she needed expert care. Fast.
She and her husband left their quiet life in upstate New York and traveled across the country to City of Hope Orange County, where they found more than world-renowned cancer treatment — they found compassion, support, and healing.
“Within five minutes of reaching out, a nurse navigator called me, stayed on the phone while I cried, and got me started with City of Hope,” Karen says. “From that moment on, I knew I was in the right place.”
Guided by lung cancer experts like Jyoti Malhotra, M.D., and a dedicated supportive care team, Karen underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and now receives immunotherapy every 28 days — all with her husband, Leo, by her side.
“I feel seen and heard here,” she says. “City of Hope treats me as a whole person — mind, body, and spirit.”
Karen’s story is a powerful reminder that highly specialized cancer care and a team that walks alongside you can make all the difference.
At our special reception at South Coast Plaza, cancer survivors, loved ones and community came together to celebrate the powerful sound of survivorship. The ringing of the bell isn’t just a moment — it’s a message. A song of triumph. An echo of courage. A promise that hope lives here.
Thank you Pacific Chorale for giving hope a voice and filling the room with its song. 💙
07/15/2025
Our new cancer specialty hospital — opening in 2025 — was built for one purpose: saving lives. 💙
Designed for and with the community, it brings more advanced cancer research and treatment - including complex surgical capabilities, breakthrough clinical trials and more supportive care programs - on our academic cancer campus in Irvine.
When gratitude hits the road. 🚚💙 We love to see grateful patient Mario Gonzalez's heartfelt and public message: 'Thank you, City of Hope.' Mario, your words mean everything to us. Thank you for trusting us with your care. 💙
City of Hope offers personalized cancer care in Orange County, CA. Make an appointment at one of our five OC treatment centers today.
07/11/2025
Karla Olmedo, M.D., is a hematologist oncologist with expertise in gastrointestinal and breast cancers.
Dr. Olmedo is passionate about improving access to advanced cancer care and education for the Latino community—ensuring more patients feel seen, supported, and empowered through their cancer journey.💙
When Pat Maney, a healthy and active 62-year-old, was diagnosed with aggressive ovarian cancer, fear took hold—but so did her determination to fight. With the expertise of Joshua G. Cohen, M.D., medical director of gynecologic oncology, Pat faced her diagnosis head-on.
“I created a checklist to get through each day,” Pat said. Guided by Dr. Cohen and a compassionate, multidisciplinary team, she underwent complex surgery and chemotherapy—all while surrounded by people who truly cared about her well-being.
Her journey wasn’t easy, but with every step, Pat discovered strength, hope, and the power of community. Today, she encourages others facing cancer to find expert care and lean on the support of loved ones.
“Having a team focused solely on cancer makes all the difference,” she says.
Pat’s story is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, hope and resilience can light the way forward. 💙
For the fourth year in a row, City of Hope Orange County has been named one of Orange County Business Journal’s Best Places to Work! 💙
From uplifting one another to our steadfast commitment to transforming cancer care, it’s our people who make our organization extraordinary.
07/04/2025
Happy from all of us at City of Hope Orange County as we celebrate independence and hope for all. 💙
07/03/2025
Mouchammed Agko, M.D., is a skilled plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, microsurgery, and lymphedema surgery. With extensive international training, he combines advanced surgical innovation with cancer-focused expertise to ensure exceptional outcomes.
Dr. Agko works closely with multidisciplinary cancer teams to create personalized treatment plans focused on restoring function and achieving each patient’s desired look and feel. His dedication to improving quality of life is at the heart of everything he does.💙
A warm cup of coffee—and a sweet treat to go with it. 💙☕
Thanks to the generosity of volunteers Lindsey Noennig and Santa Asher, our Thursday and Friday coffee cart was extra special throughout June. Lindsey’s donation brought comforting coffee to our patients and their families, while Santa’s cookies added a little extra love.
We're so grateful for their kindness and the care they show to our community.
07/01/2025
“This is where I’d want to work—and where any oncology nurse would want to be.”
— Bobby Buechler, BSN, OCN, Clinical Nurse III, Clinical Research Infusion 💙
At City of Hope Orange County, we’re building the future of cancer care. Our new cancer specialty hospital opens in 2025, and we’re hiring 700+ skilled professionals to join this once-in-a-lifetime mission.
Join a culture of compassion, collaboration, and curiosity focused on ending cancer.
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The City of Hope story began in 1913, when a group of volunteers, spurred by compassion to help those afflicted with tuberculosis, established the Jewish Consumptive Relief Association (JCRA) and raised money to start a free, nonsectarian tuberculosis sanatorium.
After several fundraisers, the JCRA put a down payment on 10 acres of sun-soaked land in Duarte, where they would establish the Los Angeles Sanatorium a year later. The original sanatorium consisted of two canvas cottages. So was launched a century-long journey that would place City of Hope at the forefront of the nation’s leading medical and research institutions.
By the mid-1940s, thanks to the discovery of antibiotics, tuberculosis was on the decline in the U.S. However, City of Hope rose to the next medical challenge, tackling the catastrophic disease of cancer — and later on, diabetes and HIV/AIDS — while reaffirming its humanitarian vision that “health is a human right.”
In the spirit of that vision, Samuel H. Golter, one of City of Hope’s early leaders, coined the phrase, “There is no profit in curing the body if, in the process, we destroy the soul.” Those words became City of Hope’s credo.
Over the decades, research conducted at City of Hope has led to significant advances in modern medicine, including the development of the first synthetic human insulin, human growth hormone and the technology behind the widely used cancer-fighting drugs Herceptin, Rituxan and Avastin.
Today, City of Hope has been designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and is a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the nation.
As we look toward the next 100 years, we continue our mission and commitment to transform the future of medicine. Our researchers, physicians, nurses, educators and staff have made hope a reality for countless patients and their loved ones.
