Burbank Health Center closes Oct. 1

Molly Shore

Another lifeline for Burbank’s low-income families has been taken

from them.

Hundreds of individuals and families will no longer have access to

basic medical care when the county’s Burbank Health Center closes it

doors Oct. 1. Even though the clinic remains open until that time, no

new patients will be seen.

Patients relying on the clinic for their medical care will have a

difficult time finding alternative sources, center physician Elise

Pomerance said. People will have to scramble to find other free or

low-cost clinics, which are not in abundance, or use the area’s

emergency rooms, she said. With Burbank’s closure, the entire Valley

will have only three county health centers -- Glendale Health Center,

San Fernando Health Center and the Mid Valley Comprehensive Health

Center in Van Nuys.

“We’re handing out a list of all clinics that are ... free care,”

Pomerance said.

However, she added, patients can expect long waits before they see

a doctor -- the San Fernando and Mid-Valley clinics are booked for

the next three to four months.

It will be difficult absorbing additional patients, said Wayne

Sewake, assistant administrator of Mid Valley Comprehensive Health

Center.

“There’s no way that we can absorb the entire amount that the

closure is going to be affecting,” he said.

However, health center administrators in Van Nuys are looking at

ways to increase the number of patients staff can handle daily.

“Patients make appointments, but don’t keep them. We’re looking at

what our broken appointment rate is and seeing if we can adjust our

appointment schedule,” he said.