Financial woes jeopardize area hospitals [Los Angeles]

Los Angeles Times ^ | September 23, 2007 | Daniel Costello and Susannah Rosenblatt

[John Jorsett]

Nearly two dozen private hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties, accounting for up to 15% of beds in the region, are in dire financial straits and in danger of bankruptcy or closure, according to hospital administrators, industry experts and state data.

The troublesome development follows the closure of community clinics and hospitals in recent years that has left the healthcare system seriously overburdened.

If even a few other hospitals close or reduce costly critical-care services, it could mean longer ambulance rides to hospitals, additional delays in emergency rooms and less access to care, especially for poor and uninsured people.

Among the hospitals in poor financial health, according to industry analysts, are Downey Regional Medical Center, Centinela Freeman Health System in Inglewood, Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, Century City Doctors Hospital and four Orange County hospitals owned by Santa Ana-based Integrated Healthcare Holdings Inc. including Chapman Medical Center in Orange and Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, one of three trauma centers in the county.

In interviews, senior executives at Centinela and Downey said they were considering closing their emergency rooms. Downey's chief operating officer, Rob Fuller, added that his hospital could close entirely as early as next year if its financial picture didn't improve soon.

The financial woes result from a multitude of developments:

* An increasing load of uninsured and low-income patients has resulted from overcrowding and the shutdown of public facilities. The number of uninsured patients visiting private hospitals, particularly in poor areas, has increased by one-third in Los Angeles County since 2002. California's Medi-Cal program for the poor reimburses hospitals at one of the lowest rates in the country.

[ken21]

it’s really the result of socialized medicine:

free health care to illegals and po’ folks

on the democrat plantation.

[Carbonado]

A text book example of the MSMs neatly manicured script, cleansed of all but the details needed to promote their Leftist/Socialist/Communist agenda.

After all, they can’t just come out and say that the medical crisis is caused by the massive flood of illegals, now can they? You hicks in flyover country might get the idea that the illegals are the real problem, and we simply can’t have that.

We, the enlightened elites of the MSM, have determined that the real problem is that you hicks are not paying enough to the government in taxes so the government can fulfill its main purpose - MAKING LIFE FAIR.

The MEDIA is the real war.

[Cyropaedia]

The Times paraphrases the "problem" this way :

The financial woes result from a multitude of developments:

* An increasing load of uninsured and low-income patients has resulted from overcrowding and the shutdown of public facilities. The number of uninsured patients visiting private hospitals, particularly in poor areas, has increased by one-third in Los Angeles County since 2002. California's Medi-Cal program for the poor reimburses hospitals at one of the lowest rates in the country.

In other words, illegals.

[Yaelle]

Mexico is the smartest country in the world. Yes, outsourcing your poor really works!

And the dumbest country in the world pays for them...

[stephenjohnbanker]

“nteresting fact: Mexicans have not opened up one hospital in Los Angeles”

No, but they have bankrupted six major hospitals in 6 years!!

[Niteflyr]

Interesting how the article manages to avoid the term “illegal alien” entirely. “Poor and uninsured” figures prominently, however.

I live in the area...and they never say it how it is.... it's illegal Mexicans....plain and simple....when are they going to quit spinning it as something else?? The truth is the truth....

[pterional]

Free medical care is not a God given right. Anything that has to be paid for by another person can never be considered an inalienable right. The only solution to preserve these hospital in the short term is to shut down their emergency medical services. Then only patients with insurance can be admitted to these hospitals by their primary care physician. Otherwise these hospital will continue to financially bleed until they are forced to shut their doors.

The government has failed to do the will of the people. In California we voted not to give free health care to these invading free loaders. The 9th circuit court rebuked the will of the people and now our citizens must suffer.

The emergency room situation in California is very grim. The personnel and available resourced are overwhelmed by the number of illegal alien patients. This results in poor quality medical care delivery for everyone. A small delay in being evaluated,diagnosed and treated can have a huge impact in patient outcomes.