Posted on 08/24/2008 4:14:21 AM PDT by kellynla
Financially troubled Century City Doctors Hospital gave up hope of finding a buyer and began shutting down Friday, according to hospital executives. Officially, the facility said it would cease operations late next week.
The hospital's emergency room -- a key element of the county's increasingly fragile emergency safety net -- will be closed today, and about 30 remaining patients will be discharged or transferred to nearby facilities beginning this weekend.
Regionally, 14 emergency rooms have been closed in the last five years, including 10 in Los Angeles County. After the closure, there will be 74 ERs remaining in the county.
On Friday, the hospital filed for financial liquidation under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Employees said they didn't get paid this week; other employees said payroll checks they received had bounced.
Hospital executives said they were petitioning the federal Bankruptcy Court to use emergency funds to pay employees as early as next week but acknowledged that they might not be able to do so.
"I haven't been paid in two weeks and I'm afraid I'm just not going to get paid," Tamara Tobin, a nursing assistant, said as she arrived at the hospital Friday.
The 176-bed facility, on Century Park East in the Century City Medical Plaza, has tried for months to improve its finances but has struggled to pay its growing debt, which the hospital estimated in a recent interview with The Times at more $60 million.
"It's really unfortunate" the hospital is closing, said Pat Wolfram, its interim chief executive. "Even this morning, we were trying to get a buyer and remain open but it just didn't happen. This is a great hospital and it's very sad."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
“I’m voting for Bullwinkle...”
Is Rocky the VP?
Carol Meyer, "This means more than 1,000 emergency patients a month will now have to be treated elsewhere," Century City Doctors Hospital, located in a relatively affluent area ....Sooooo since this is in an affluent area I guess all the Movie Stars and rich folks are the 1,000+ a month going there for sore throats, splinters and runny noses.
Huh, what? No, not Movie stars or the rich.
Hmmm then who are the "emergency patients" who aren't paying??
(i'm gonna have to give this some thought) /s
Sounds like Atlas might shrugging just a bit.
That’s quite the business plan you’ve got spelled out there. I’ve never seen it put quite that succinctly, but everything you write makes good sense.
Wrong.
66 rural hospitals in California serve an overwhelmingly poor white (Republican) population which is utterly dependent on Medical.
When the budget dispute drags on past the legal deadline the State of California stops reimbursing those hospitals. The State established an emergency carry-over fund to help hospitals cope but this year the dispute has been so prolonged that the fund was exhausted.
If agreement is not reached very soon those hospitals will begin closing.
Modern medical care is just too expensive. Rationing is a must...and a different approach to health care is required if we are to extend coverage to more of the population.
It also wouldn't hurt to reform tort law. Not easy, of course, but as it stands now it hugely jacks up costs while providing little protection against real malpractice; the doctors most hurt are those who make honest mistakes while under pressure, not the real crooks who care only about money.
It is the illegals plus the trail lawyers that jacker up the price of malpratice insurnace that is killing the health care in this country.
Calling John edwards.....channel this, scumbag
“66 rural hospitals in California serve an overwhelmingly poor white (Republican) population which is utterly dependent on Medical.”
and just where are these hospitals?
and how do you know the people they serve are “poor white Republicans?”
please tell me you’re J/K...
I voted third party / independent once and the country got Clinton. I’ll never make that mistake again. A vote for third party / independent is a vote for Obama.
If you want more detailed information just contact ACHD (Association of California Hospital Districts).
Gosh, you mean you can't say “armpit” on Free Republic?
Well I would like to see some documentation other than “I know” ... LOL
The same is true for gas prices, oil supply, and the electric grid.
They want high gas prices; low oil supply; and poor generation capacity and grid breakdowns leading to blackouts.
They aren't blind. They think they are going to teach the Republicans a lesson.
I detest McCain. I really don't believe he is what a Republican should be. But I'll take him over Obama.
I say elect McCain and hold his feet to the fire. The place to have ejected McCain was the primaries.
The media gave us McCain, he wasn't my choice either. By the time that Texas got to vote both my guys had dropped out for lack of interest. I didn't even go to the polls. I couldn't bring myself to vote for Operation Chaos.
Gee, I wonder if this has something to do with their policies towards illegal immigrants? (Sarcasm alert)
JoMa
However, here's the contact info for ACHD;
Main office in Rancho Cordova; 800-424-2243
Peter Gambee, Principal Advocate; peterg@achd.org
They have the best information available.
The Agenda 21 urban prison awaits with open arms.
LOL, Gag, Retch....
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