In a meaningful milestone for patients and families across Orange County, the Hoag Family Cancer Institute has earned accreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), the highest national standard in cellular therapy.

At its core, this means that patients in Orange County can access some of today’s most advanced cancer treatments close to home, surrounded by their support systems. It also reflects what is possible when a community comes together to invest in the future of care.

A New Way to Treat Cancer

Cellular therapy uses a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. In simple terms, doctors collect a patient’s immune cells, retrain them to recognize cancer, and send them back into the body to do their work. It is like giving the immune system a highly specific set of instructions.

These therapies, including CAR T-cell treatment, have already transformed outcomes for many patients with blood cancers. Now, through ongoing research, they are being explored for many other types of cancer.

FACT accreditation ensures that Hoag meets the most rigorous standards required to deliver these therapies safely and effectively. It touches every part of the process, from how cells are handled in the lab to how patients are cared for throughout treatment.

Made Possible by Philanthropy

Reaching this milestone takes years of planning, coordination, and investment. With the support of our philanthropic community, Hoag was able to move forward with both speed and focus.

We are especially grateful to partners like the Muzzy family, whose generosity helped bring this vision to life. Their support allowed Hoag to build the foundation of its Cell Therapy Program, recruit expert leaders, and develop the infrastructure required to meet national standards.

Because of that investment, Hoag is now among a small group of hospitals and one of only a few non-academic medical centers in California to achieve FACT accreditation.

As Carlos R. Becerra, MD, Margaret Givan Larkin Endowed Chair in Developmental Cancer Therapeutics, shared:

“Acts of generosity by our community help catapult programs that would otherwise take years to build. The Cell Therapy Program is a powerful example of that. Philanthropy helped us move faster and create something truly meaningful for patients.”

Where Innovation Meets Opportunity

Hoag has built a dedicated Cell Therapy Program supported by highly trained clinical teams and strong leadership, including Raghuveer Ranganathan, MD, who is helping guide its next phase of growth.

Raghuveer Ranganathan, MD, Program Director, Immune Effector and Cellular Therapy, Hoag Family Cancer Institute

This spring, Dr. Ranganathan received funding from Hoag Innovators, a group of philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders dedicated to catalyzing innovation at Hoag, to accelerate a new frontier in this field. His project focuses on expanding cellular therapy beyond cancer and into autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Hoag continues to add clinical trials in cancer, including studies targeting some of the most challenging and historically difficult-to-treat diseases. With continued partnership from our community, the Hoag Family Cancer Institute will keep advancing care, expanding access, and bringing the most promising therapies to patients as quickly as possible.

If you would like to learn more about how you can support cancer care and research at Hoag, please contact Executive Director of Development, Heidi Saravia, at Heidi.Saravia@hoag.org or 949-764-7238. 

Together, we are building the future of cancer care, right here in our community.

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