Time to reform county’s healthcare

Re “King/Drew Fails Final U.S. Test,” Sept. 23

The recent action by the federal government to cease Medicare and Medi-Cal funding to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center is no surprise. The hospital has failed nearly every recent inspection, and many Angelenos have died tragically because of terrible medical care.

I was a member of the 2004-2005 Los Angeles County grand jury that examined the healthcare system in Los Angeles County, meeting with experts, county officials, conducting site visits, etc. Our final report strongly recommended that the system be reformed by creating an independent health authority to manage the county hospitals.

There have been many studies reaching this same conclusion: that the people of Los Angeles County would be better served by removing the control of the hospitals from the Board of Supervisors.

The management of hospitals is critically important to every Angeleno, and we must have faith and trust in our elected officials that we are being well served. Sadly, what has happened at King/Drew has proved that the supervisors have failed this test, and they can no longer be trusted to protect us.

Politics and medical care are not compatible, and now King/Drew will most likely be closed. Now is the time to set up an independent body with the authority and expertise to do what is necessary so this will never happen again.

DAVID AMITAI

Los Angeles

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The Board of Supervisors will consider closing King/Drew Medical Center, turning it over to a hospital management company to run or converting it into a clinic. Additionally, Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in Inglewood announced that it will close its emergency department. These two hospitals are eight miles apart and treat about 100,000 patients a year in their emergency departments. If both hospitals close their emergency departments and cease to exist as acute-care hospitals, these patients will seek emergency care and hospitalization in surrounding areas. Other area hospitals will be inundated by this human tide.

Paramedics will have longer transport times, and there will be longer waits for treatment, which will have adverse effects on the quality of medical care.

It will make no difference if we are rich or poor, insured or not, because the sickest must be cared for first.

The Board of Supervisors does not have the option to close King/Drew or convert it into a clinic. The hospital and its emergency department must remain open.

Los Angeles County residents cannot sustain the loss of two large acute-care hospitals and their emergency departments. Unacceptable loss of life will occur.

JOHN BIBB M.D.

Chairman, Board of Directors

American College of Emergency Physicians

Pacific Palisades