‘County Hospital’ Label Is Misleading

I am writing in response to Dr. Richard Kammerman’s Commentary, “When Indigents Go to Emergency Rooms, We Pay Higher Costs” (July 5).

As a member of Supervisor Harriett Wieder’s Orange County Health Care Task Force Steering Committee, I fully support and have been integrally involved in the initiative to develop an organized health-care delivery system in Orange County.

However, I must point out to your readers that the comment, “ . . . everyone still considers UCI Medical Center as a county hospital,” misstates the problem in that it would lead one to believe that the indigent care problem is exclusively a UCI Medical Center issue.

The indigent medical care problem affects all of the citizens in Orange County, as well as the providers who attempt to deliver patient care.

Because we have an underfunded system, costs that are not assumed by government are shifted to the private sector, thereby creating a burden for all citizens as well as the University of California. Consequently, a managed, cost-efficient health-care system is sorely needed in Orange County.

While UCI Medical Center is a disproportionate share provider of health care to the medically indigent, our hospital cares for patients of all socioeconomic levels.

For those who have benefited from the advanced level of care provided at the only comprehensive university hospital located in Orange County, the University of California Irvine Medical Center is recognized as a valuable lifesaving resource. Our outstanding physicians, practicing in over 300 specialties, provide services that are not available elsewhere in this region.

Many of our programs, including cancer, neurosciences and premature infant care, are highly regarded nationally and internationally.

It is the goal of the task force, UCI Medical Center and all of the providers involved to establish a system that will be cost-effective and cost-efficient for everyone in Orange County.

MARY A. PICCIONE, Executive Director, UCI Medical Center