SR-306-001-01
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September 13, 1933
Santa Monica, Callfornia
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Mayor and City Counell
Dan Cohen, Chairperson of Commission on Older Americans
The Avallability of Medical Services in the Los Angeles/
Harbor Health Distrlct and West Health Dlstrlct.
IntroductlOn
ThlS report requests that City Council send a letter to Mr.
Robert White, Director of Los Angeles County Department Health
Services, express1ng concern over the dispar1ty of medical
serv1Ces available in the Los Angeles/Harbor Health District and
that the West Health District has no county hospital within reasonable
dlstance.
Bac kg round
The Comm1ssion on Older Americans met in regular seSSlon on
July 20. 1983. At this meeting the following was passed:
D1SCUSSlon was held regarding a letter from Ken Schonlau,
Chalrman of the Western LA Health Services Council, to Mr. Robert
White. Director of LAC Dept. Health Services. In this letter (copy
attached) it was noted that the disparlty of medical services
available in the Los Angeles/Harbor Health District and the
West Health District 1S severe, and that the West District has
no county hospital within reasonable distance. The Commission moved
that City Council send a letter to Mr. Robert White, Director of
Los Angeles County Department Health Services. expressing concern
over this sltuation and recommending immediate action by the County
to contract with a private local ",s~ D1stnct medlcal center. It
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is further recommended that copies of this letter be sent to Dean
Dana and hlS deputy, Mary Gray.
B.e,c_o~e~nda tion
The Commlsslon on Older Amerlcans recommends that the City Council
send a letter to Mr. Robert White, Director of Los Angeles County
Health Services, expressing concern over the dlsparity of
medical services avallable in the Los Angeles/Harbor Health District
and that the West Health District has no county hospltal withln
reasonable distance. It is further recommended that coples of
this letter be sent to Dean Dana and hlS deputy, Mary Gray.
,
WEST4It LA HEALTH SERVICES couJllt
C/O BURKE HEALTH CENTER
2509 PICO BOULEVARD
SANTA MONICA, CA, 90405
May 23, 1983
Mr. Robert Whlte, Director
LAC Dept. Health Services
313 N. Figueroa street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear Mr. White:
The disparity of medical services available In the Los Angeles/
Harbor Health District and the West Health Distrlct is severe. The
Greater Long Beach area has an Acute Care Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
The West District has no county hospital withln reasonable dlstance.
Severely ill, medically indigent citizens in the West Health District
must travel a long, complicated distance for medical treatment. Most
sIck people wlthout automoblles are unable to manage the long journey,
and hence go without treatment.
Now insult is added to injury with the announcement that a new Com-
prehensIve Health Center will be built and operated in Long Beach.
ThIS biased planning removes all credibility from any geographic-
ally fair share approach for provision of acute publlC cl~nlc medI~
cal services.
Immediate action is needed by the County to contract with a private
local West DIstrict medical center. Such a contract 1S not new;
Los Angeles has contracted with private hospital for EAP and inpat-
ient services for years. All the procedures and contracts are deve-
loped and now need to be lmplemented in the West Health Distrlct.
The current requirement of referring seriously ill, medically lndL-
gent West District residents to Harbor General Hospltal is unreal-
istic. The West Los Angeles community deserves fair and equal
treatment by the Department of Health Services.
The Western Los Angeles Health SerVlce Council stands ready and
willlng to assist the Department of Health Services to correct this
injustice.
Sincerely,
W14\~ - '.
Ken Schonlau, Chairman
KS:mds
cc: Supervisor Deane Dana
Senlor Deputy Mary Grey