St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS), with the support of the Board of Supervisors, is urging the State Attorney General to permit the sale of St. Francis Medical Center on the condition that trauma services continue to be delivered. Final approval of the sale of St. Francis and five other sister hospitals in the Daughters of Charity Health System is under the review of Attorney General Kamala Harris’ office because the hospitals are non-profit and would be sold to a for-profit company. A decision is expected in February.
“The continuation of trauma care at that hospital is essential for the region and it is not negotiable,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “We are most concerned about the needs of our residents and we need to ensure that their healthcare needs will be met not only by St. Francis but also supported by the neighboring Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Community Hospital and Outpatient Center. As a community, we must insist that trauma care remain at St. Francis unconditionally and as a County we must advocate for a pathway forward for trauma care that doesn’t depend on the good will of a for-profit corporation.”
Since the closure of the King/Drew Hospital trauma center in 2005, trauma patients from several South Los Angeles communities have been treated at St. Francis, which is only three miles away from the soon-to-open, new MLK Hospital. St. Francis has been a vital component of the overall healthcare network for the region’s 1 million patients for the past 20 years.
A new report (attached) completed by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services outlines the importance of maintaining trauma care at St. Francis. The report, requested by Ridley-Thomas and the Board of Supervisors in September, highlights key concerns should St. Francis close:
A significant increase in travel time for trauma patients, since the nearest center, at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, is almost 11 miles (14 minutes) away.
A significant increase of patients for other hospitals with trauma centers, such as Harbor-UCLA and LAC+USC Medical Center.
DHS director Mitchell Katz, MD, said his department will soon release a study which was requested in September by Ridley-Thomas on the feasibility of establishing a trauma center at the new MLK Hospital. But he noted that the addition of a new trauma center to any hospital system usually takes between 2 to 5 years after the candidate hospital meets all basic requirements.
“We cannot stress the importance of keeping a viable trauma center in this area,” said Dr. Katz. “We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that this community continues to have access to quality trauma care.”
