Sylmar : Health Officials Warn Against Cutbacks

Health care officials made dire predictions Friday about the spread of tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV if Los Angeles County follows through on its proposed closure of medical facilities.

In a news conference held outside Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar--one of several sites facing cutbacks--they predicted that the closures and accompanying layoffs would force medical personnel to handle cases in areas in which they are not specialized or leave some infected people unmonitored.

“People who are fighting cancer or HIV, they’re going to be exposed to tuberculosis or other infectious diseases,” said Debra Cummings of the San Fernando Valley HIV Consortium, a group of 25 agencies that provides human immunodeficiency virus-related services to residents of the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.

“It’s going to be a public disaster,” said Cummings, adding that the cutbacks would be as devastating as the Northridge earthquake. “There will be constant aftershocks that will financially hit this community. Everyone is going to be affected.”

Health care officials urged the County Board of Supervisors to reconsider its decision this month to close 28 of 39 community-based health centers, shut down six regional comprehensive health centers and eliminate outpatient services at most county hospitals. The officials warned of a “cascade effect,” in which private medical facilities would be overwhelmed with needy patients, many of whom would be unable to pay their bills.

“The community resources simply aren’t adequate to handle it,” said John Maceri of the Homestead Hospice and Shelter, a member of the consortium. “Olive View only offers service on two half-days and they serve more than 400 [HIV patients] per month. There’s no way the county can absorb that number of treatments.”

Participants also asked residents to get involved by contacting elected officials and offering suggestions to prevent the cutbacks. “We need help,” Cummings said. “We need something to combat what is planned.”