El Monte : Health Center Plan Rejected

The county has rejected a plan that would have allowed a private firm to take over public medical services at El Monte Comprehensive Health Center.

Officials rejected a contract last week after determining that costs for private service would have been 13.6% more than the center is spending now, said Norm Braverman, contract administrator for the county Department of Health Services.

Under a revision in the county charter approved by voters in 1978, the county can contract with the private sector for services if it is cost-effective, Braverman said.

The county began soliciting proposals for operating the El Monte facility in March, which sparked a series of protests from health care workers and union leaders who were concerned about the quality of service provided by private firms and the possibility of layoffs.

Under the private contract, about 120 doctors, nurses, technicians and clerks would have lost their jobs, but Braverman said they would have been transferred to other county health facilities.