Supervisors Hear Pleas for Hospital

As the privatization of Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center moves closer to reality, doctors, workers, union leaders and patients pleaded Monday with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to avoid budget cuts and layoffs at the renowned rehabilitation hospital.

About 270 county workers will lose their jobs Oct. 1 if the supervisors keep their commitment to downsize services at the Downey facility while talks with potential private operators of the hospital continue.

As the board opened at least two days of deliberations on the county’s troubled budget, Steven Olivas, 24, of Pico Rivera told the supervisors that the hospital made a life-and-death difference to him after he suffered brain damage in a car accident in December.

Olivas spent six weeks at Rancho Los Amigos unable to walk and suffering from memory loss after emerging from six days in a coma. Thanks to the hospital’s staff, he said, he plans to start college Wednesday and will eventually be able to lead a useful and productive life.

“Please don’t close or sell the Ranch,” Olivas said as more than 100 T-shirt-clad employees and supporters of the hospital cheered. But Board Chairman Mike Antonovich said later that he does not foresee the supervisors retreating from their commitment to privatize Rancho Los Amigos in the next two years.

“We made a commitment to the state and federal government to develop an efficient health care delivery system through public-private partnerships and that includes Rancho,” he said.

The county has promised to dramatically reduce the number of hospital beds and shift its emphasis to primary and preventive care at community clinics as part of a federal bailout that saved the public health system from collapse last fall.

“I don’t think any of us expect the board not to proceed,” said Health Services Director Mark Finucane.

After adopting an unbalanced $12.2-billion budget in late June, the supervisors face a potential deficit in non-health programs that could balloon to $182 million under the worst-case scenario.

Acting Chief Administrative Officer Sandra Davis presented a series of options Monday to deal with the fiscal woes, including $89 million in budget cuts and one-time financial moves. Lacking a consensus on which direction to take, the supervisors postponed budget decisions until today at the earliest.

Antonovich expressed confidence that the county will find a competent medical institution experienced in rehabilitation services to take over Rancho Los Amigos, which would become the first of the county’s six public hospitals to be privatized.

After the county solicited proposals from medical groups, Catholic Healthcare West emerged as the leading contender. Negotiations are underway with that group and two others: S.K. Ching & Associates, a large health care management group, and Daniel Freeman Hospital in partnership with the USC schools of medicine, dentistry and gerontology.

Supervisor Deane Dana, whose district includes the hospital, said he hopes his colleagues will reconsider their intention to cut $28 million in county funding for the hospital. “We hope to change their minds,” he said.

Nevertheless, the board appears determined to move ahead with the downsizing and may decide today to set Sept. 12 for a federally required hearing on plans to scale back services at Rancho Los Amigos. The crowd of Rancho advocates cheered when Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky announced that the hearing will be held at the hospital so patients and staff members can attend.