Tension Mounts Over King/Drew

Two Los Angeles County supervisors broke into a heated debate on Tuesday over how to fix mounting problems at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center and its affiliated medical school.

The exchange occurred between supervisors Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, whose district includes the hospital, and Zev Yaroslavsky, over whether to invite a UCLA official to discuss putting the university in charge of physician training at the hospital. The training is now run by the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Burke suggested Tuesday that the board invite UCLA’s medical school dean, Dr. Gerald Levey, to next week’s board meeting to discuss UCLA’s possible role.

Yaroslavsky objected. “I think it’s putting the cart before the horse to have Levey come here,” he said.

He recommended that the board first concentrate on getting a “roadmap,” listing current problems at King/Drew, from Dr. Thomas Garthwaite, director of the county’s health department.

Yaroslavsky went on to say that “not one of us has a clue as to what the problem is and how to fix the problem.”

That prompted an angry interruption from Burke, who said that she had spent five hours Monday meeting with an emergency management team that has been installed at the hospital.

Until lately, other board members typically deferred to Burke on King/Drew issues.

“Don’t sit here and say that none of us have any clue as to what the problem is, because if, after five hours, I don’t have any clue, then I really have a problem for sure in terms of my ability to comprehend anything,” said the normally reserved Burke.

The exchange illustrates the pressure building on supervisors to quickly address a host of deficiencies at a hospital that serves a predominantly poor and minority population with few other options for care.

The hospital and medical school have come under siege on multiple fronts. Recently, a national accrediting body decided to close two key training programs for doctors. In addition, three patients have died under questionable circumstances, and two subsequent government investigations have found serious violations in patient care.

Two weeks ago, a task force led by former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher recommended replacing the president of Drew University, changing the makeup of its governing board and consolidating or closing some physician training programs. Drew President Charles Francis was placed on paid administrative leave last week.

Meanwhile, a private management group has been brought in to take control of nursing at the hospital and to assess the competence of the staff. Fred Leaf, second in command at the county Department of Health Services, has temporarily moved on site.

“I’ve been making rounds there personally several times a week, and I think we’re making considerable progress,” said Garthwaite, the health department chief.

The board agreed to set a hearing for Tuesday at which Garthwaite is to give an update on the status of the hospital.

Meanwhile, state Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton) is set to hold a hearing on Friday to discuss financial issues affecting the hospital.