Financial Crunch Wears on Southern California Hospitals
NPR's "News & Notes" on Thursday included a discussion with Los Angeles Times reporter Dan Costello, who recently co-wrote an article about hospitals in Southern California that are facing severe financial problems (Chideya [1], "News & Notes," NPR, 10/4).
According to the Times article, almost two dozen hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties are at risk of bankruptcy or closure, accounting for 15% of available hospital beds (California Healthline, 9/24).
"News & Notes" on Thursday also included a discussion with Rob Fuller, chief operating officer and executive vice president of Downey Regional Medical Center.
The hospital twice in recent months has diverted ambulances to other facilities because of emergency department overcrowding (Chideya [2], "News & Notes," NPR, 10/4).
Audio of the discussion with Costello is available online.
Audio of the discussion with Fuller also is available online.
KPCC's "AirTalk" on Thursday also included a discussion about the problems facing Southern California hospitals.
Guests on the program included:
- Jim Lott, executive vice president of the Hospital Association of Southern California;
- Carol Meyer, director of government affairs for the L.A. County Department of Health Services; and
- Fuller (Mantle, "AirTalk," KPCC, 10/4).
Audio of the segment is available online. This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.