Dr Richard Afable / For THE CURRENT

We look pretty good for 60.

National recognition, state-of-the-art facilities, a trusted name in health care. Hoag Hospital has a lot to crow about as it enters its sixth decade as a premier health care provider for Orange County.

But even more impressive is how the hospital has become part of the narrative of Orange County.

Just as the county has expanded and achieved world renown, Hoag has grown along with it, transforming from a local hospital on a bluff top to a national beacon of health care innovation, according to a recent listing by U.S. News & World Report.

We are, of course, proud of the kudos and recognition we receive, but we know very well that Hoag's success could only be possible in a place like Orange County.

While many of us like to think of Orange County as idyllic ("The O.C." has become national shorthand for well-healed sun worshippers with no real problems), the truth of the matter is the county is slightly larger than the entire state of Iowa. We are the sixth largest county in the United States, and with our size comes the same problems and opportunities of any large metropolitan area.

Good thing for all of us that entrepreneurialism is in the water here. Over the last 30 years, Orange County has become a hub for health care technology that is quite unique in this country. Some of the nation's finest health care technology development and manufacturing companies are clustered right here – Edward LifeSciences, Allergan and Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, to name a few.

Orange County companies have been leaders in gene therapy, cancer treatments and cutting-edge developments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases.

The success of these entrepreneurial companies has had a snowballing effect, growing and coalescing into a community of innovative healthcare. If you're looking for some of the nation's top medical technology talent, it's here. And Orange County's hospitals, and their patients, have benefitted immensely from our neighbors' success.

Hoag was one of the first in California to offer 3D mammography. Cancer patients being cared for at Hoag receive cutting-edge treatments and opportunities to participate in innovative clinical trials. And Hoag recently opened one of the world's most advanced cardiac operating suites, the Bob and Marjie Bennett Hybrid Surgical Suite that provides diagnostic imaging and surgical procedures simultaneously in the same room from a comprehensive team of specialists.

Seeing how successful Orange County has been in cultivating a culture of medical innovation, it is not hard to see how hospitals like Hoag have been able to thrive. In 60 years, Hoag alone has transformed from a 75-bed local hospital into a 579-bed state-of-the-art medical and surgical facility with more than 20,000 surgeries a year.

So, yes, we look great for 60. But we have to concede Orange County looks even better for its age: 123.

Richard Afable, M.D. is president and Chief Executive Officer of Hoag Hospital Memorial Presbyterian.

Hoag has urgent care, health facilities or hospitals in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Tustin, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Aliso Viejo, Orange and Anaheim Hills.

To view the original article on The Orange County Register, click here.