Dr. David B. Horner; Saved County Poison Control Center

Dr. David B. Horner, the medical community leader credited with saving Los Angeles County’s Poison Control Center, has died of cardiac arrest. He was 69.

Horner died Friday at his Palm Springs home, his son, Philip, said Saturday.

In 1980, the Poison Control Center based at Childrens Hospital was threatened with closure because of lack of money. Horner, then president of the Los Angeles County Medical Assn., arranged for the association to take over full operation of the center only a month before the announced shutdown was scheduled.

The takeover enabled the center to increase its staff and improve service and won both city and county commendations for Horner.

As president of the California Medical Assn. in 1984, Horner lobbied the Legislature and directed funds from doctors’ political action committees to legislators who favored bills benefitting medical professionals and public health. Always interested in politics, in 1976 he ran as a Democrat for the 27th District Congressional seat won by Republican Robert K. Dornan.

Horner was educated at City College of New York and New York Medical College and, from 1944-47, served in the U.S. Medical Corps. An Inglewood orthopedic surgeon, he was past chief of staff at Centinela Hospital Medical Center and former chairman of orthopedics at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital.

President Jimmy Carter appointed Horner U.S. Commissioner on Emergency Medicine. He served from 1977 to 1980. He also served on the state Health Advisory Council and the Los Angeles Paramedic Commission, and was founding board chairman of the nonprofit Behavioral Health Services agency serving 800,000 people in the South Bay area.

In 1981, Horner received the humanitarian award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Besides his son, Philip, of Sacramento, he is survived by his wife, Helen Barnett Horner of Palm Springs, another son, Robert, and a daughter, Janet Sorensen, both of Los Angeles. All three of his children are lawyers.

The family has asked that any memorial contributions be made to the Los Angeles County Poison Control Center.