Task Force Will Tackle Medical Woes

The Orange County Board of Supervisors created a task force this week to explore solutions to major health care problems that are plaguing people in the county, especially low-income residents.

Orange County faces various medical woes, including lack of adequate obstetrical care for poor women and closure of a major trauma center and some hospital emergency rooms.

Also, the new county budget for indigent health care was cut by about $13 million because of a reduction in state funding. Many of the 28 hospitals in the program are expected to drop out of the program unless they get more money, which would strain the services available to working, low-income patients not eligible for Medi-Cal.

Members of the Health Care Task Force, established by supervisors Harriett M. Wieder and Gaddi H. Vasquez, will be public and private health care professionals.