Court Bars County Closure of Health Clinics for Poor

Dozens of special clinics and other health-care services for indigents cannot be shut down by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors despite budget troubles, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday.

A preliminary injunction that bars the supervisors from reducing spending on indigent care by $6.8 million was issued by Judge Ricardo Torres, who last month ordered a delay in imposing the cuts after a suit was filed on behalf of two indigent patients.

County attorneys had argued that some clinics and other services must be closed because the supervisors do not have the money to care for all indigents in the county who need health services.

Before the delay was ordered Oct. 29, the county Department of Health Services had posted closure notices and given layoff notices to about 25 employees.

But the judge sided with public interest attorneys who argued the case for the two indigents, Gilbert Sanchez and Virginia Vargas, who are in their 50s and live partly on public assistance.

The cutbacks sought by the supervisors would have eliminated about 87,000 patient visits at selected clinics, although some indigent patients would have been able to receive treatment in medical facilities farther away.

At County-USC Medical Center east of downtown Los Angeles, the planned cuts would have reduced cardiac care for the poor, eliminated some pediatric care in the eye clinic and ended special tuberculosis and dermatology treatment in the medical center’s pediatric hospital.

The gynecology clinic at Women’s Hospital and surgical service at the El Monte Comprehensive Medical Center were also spared by Friday’s decision. Surgeries and the gynecology clinic at the H. Claude Hudson health center in Central Los Angeles will also continue.

Torres’ order also ensures that Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center in South-Central Los Angeles will not close its cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology and chest clinics for the poor.

Spared by Order

Dental services for indigents were spared by the order over the objections of county attorneys, who argued that dental services are not provided to indigents under the Medi-Cal program and should not be the county’s responsibility.

The supervisors may appeal the judge’s ruling, but Supervisor Ed Edelman, who opposed the cuts originally, said he would try to stop an appeal.

“Essential hospital outpatient services, including pediatric visits, coronary care, tuberculosis treatment, routine medical assistance and adult dental services would be cut back sharply if these reductions are made,” Edelman said Friday. “Those service reductions are unacceptable to me.”