A Noble Idea
The inscription above the main entrance to L.A. County/USC Medical Center is an affirmation of the commitment that the citizens of Los Angeles made to their community in 1923 (in a bond measure).
In the 1920s, just as today, providing health care to the poor was not an altogether altruistic or popular notion. It was done because a healthy population improves the work force, enhances productivity, fortifies education and enriches the economy. Providing health care is expensive, but denying health care to a large segment of our community will only cost our society more in the future.
Ultimately, we cannot blame our elected officials for their plan to privatize or shut down most county health services. They are simply following the public’s will. The City of Angels is no longer a community; it has become fractionalized and polarized.
The inscription is still there on our premier public hospital, but the sentiment and commitment for caring is gone. And a noble idea is lost.
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