About

Rachel Hargrove, MD, chose a career in medicine, believing that it’s a unique privilege to be able to heal the body, relieve illness, and ease suffering. As a cardiac surgeon, she focuses her skills on one of the body’s most fascinating and important organs – the strong, resilient and spontaneous heart that leads the body through life. To be able to help patients with heart disease regain health and quality of life brings Dr. Hargrove great joy.

Seeing the smile on the patient’s face when they are heading home from the hospital…I feel the most satisfied when they tell me how much better they feel. Often in the postoperative visit, the pain, fatigue or shortness of breath is gone and I hear tales of new plans for the future without the prior limitations. These visits sustain and give me strength of purpose.

Dr. Hargrove practices patient-centered medicine. She treats each person as an individual and creates a treatment plan that is tailored to provide the best outcome for that individual. Her training and experience allows her to utilize up to date guidelines, innovative techniques and cutting-edge technology to treat her patients. She performs all aspects of cardiothoracic surgery including coronary bypass, valve repair and replacement, maze procedure and re-operation heart surgery with specialized training in AtriClip ligation of the left atrial appendage and aortic root surgery. Although heart surgery is a major event, she believes that with new advances, many surgeries can be safely done with minimally invasive approaches, making it her goal to provide minimally invasive and robotic options when feasible. 

Dr. Hargrove received her medical degree from Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in 2010, after which she returned to her home state of California to attend Loma Linda University Medical Center for a residency in general surgery. Upon completion in 2015, she returned to Illinois for a Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship at Loyola University Medical Center. She is a member of multiple professional organizations including the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and Women in Thoracic Surgery.

When not meeting with patients or in surgery, she enjoys time with her family as well as hiking and art. Dr. Hargrove is fluent in Spanish.

Languages

English, Spanish

Provider Specialty

Cardiothoracic - Thoracic Surgery, Surgery - Cardiothoracic

Education

Medical School

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine

2010

Internship/Residency - Surgery

Loma Linda University Medical Center

2015

Fellowship Program - Cardiothoracic Surgery

Loyola University Medical Center

2017

Locations & Affiliations

Locations

Insurance

Please consult your health care provider or health plan for the most accurate information about your health plan’s coverage of a particular health care service offered at a MemorialCare facility. Learn more about our Accepted Health Plans.

Patient Reviews

4.9 out of 5
(122 Ratings)
Mar 25, 2026
Marilyn G.
Mar 16, 2026
Holly N.
We are especially grateful to Dr. Hargrove and her incredible team at Orange Coast Medical Center for their dedication, compassion, and expertise in saving my dad’s life. We truly felt that he was in the best hands.
Mar 12, 2026
Dwight S.
Mar 12, 2026
Mien P.
Nice service great treatment
Mar 12, 2026
Ronnie A.
Good pre op meeting. Dr Hargrove was very informative and professional. Looking forward to a good outcome.
Mar 6, 2026
Robert B.
She is an excellent Heart Surgeon. she is very personable.
Mar 5, 2026
Norman M.
She does a great job explaining my condition and what might happen in the future if the condition is not treated. She will consult with my cardiologist to determine a corse of treatment and has ordered tests to prepare. Friendly and concerned for my health.
Feb 26, 2026
Colleen T.
She answered all my questions. Excellent customer services. Explain the surgery that I’m going to have.
Feb 26, 2026
Robert Z.
A life saver!
Feb 20, 2026
Jonathon R.
She was extremely nice, explained everything in detail and was very attentive in addressing any of my questions or concerns.

Source: Reviews are aggregated from third-party review sites such as Facebook, Google, HealthGrades, RepuGen, Vitals, WebMD, and Yelp.