Hospital Transfers Patients as It Prepares to Shut Down

Washington Medical Center, a 99-bed Culver City facility described by its administrators as hopelessly in debt, began to shut its doors Friday and transfer its remaining patients.

Hospital officials said they would remain open through the weekend if they were unable to transfer the last patients by nightfall. “It is a sad day,” said Herbert Needman, president of the management company that runs the hospital. “We put our life’s blood into this institution, and I feel bad for the people who work here. I feel bad for the patients whose health we have to continue to safeguard as long as they are here.”

He said Washington Medical Center, like many health care facilities, was operating on a shoestring budget, struggling to manage with lower revenues and higher operating costs.

“We tried to do the best we could, but we just got tapped out,” he said.

At its peak, the hospital had more than 250 employees and offered a variety of services, including emergency health care, treatment for chemical dependency and eating disorders, surgical care and long-term treatment.

The closing was announced to the staff Thursday, but rumors have been circulating for days.

Initially, there was a sign of hope.

“They said someone was going to buy us, but the deal fell through,” said Lisa Arndt, a psychotherapist.