Why then are so many of Los Angeles County’s hospitals struggling to keep their doors open?
In short, this vital economic sector is in a titanic struggle for survival against “the perfect storm” of deep budget cuts, unfunded seismic retrofit mandates, an ER network under siege and laboring on the fringe of profitability, a rapid increase in the number of the uninsured, and workforce shortages that aren’t keeping up with overcrowding, staffing requirements and anticipated retirements. Meanwhile, increased demand for healthcare services attributable to a growing elderly population is expected to increase by 75% in California by 2020. We’ve already lost 17 hospitals and emergency departments in the County during the last decade, including the recent closure of King-Harbor in much underserved southern Los Angeles County – eliminating about 40,000 ER visits per year. And with two out every five hospitals losing money, we are in grave danger of losing another three to four hospitals very quickly without aggressive action. If we continue to turn a blind eye to the industry’s problem
