Activist Group Protests St. Vincent Medical Center Over Treatment of Uninsured

More than 1,000 members of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now on Sunday gathered in front of St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles to protest the hospital's alleged denial of treatment to the uninsured, the Los Angeles Times reports. ACORN representatives said that St. Vincent employees have told prospective patients to go to free care clinics for treatment despite a law requiring not-for-profit hospitals to provide free care and other services to the community. ACORN held the protest during its national convention in Los Angeles. Trace Longo, a spokesperson for St. Vincent, said that he could not comment on the protest because hospital officials were still gathering information about the protest organizers' intentions. Longo added that the protest did not interfere with medical care. ACORN, which seeks improved access to health care, housing and loans for low-income people, has about 150,000 members in 65 cities, according to organization representatives (Liu, Los Angeles Times, 6/28).