Los Angeles County Hospitals Need $774.3M in Improvements, Health Department Says
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services on Tuesday released a report estimating that county hospitals need $774.3 million in improvements, the Los Angeles Times reports.
According to the report, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center needs a new emergency department estimated to cost $143.3 million. In addition, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center needs $29 million for an ED and tuberculosis unit, and Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center needs $132 million in seismic upgrades, the report stated.
County DHS Director Thomas Garthwaite said none of the $774.3 million in improvements outlined in the report is necessary for hospitals or health centers to be accredited.
David Janssen, the county's chief administrative officer, said a team of consultants will study all construction needs and provide the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors with a comprehensive report within the next year.
At the board meeting Tuesday, supervisors addressed the "sobering reality" of projections that county DHS will have a budget shortfall of $889.1 million in four years, the Times reports. The newest calculation is lower than the $954.7 million deficit county health officials predicted earlier this year.
Supervisors also addressed allocation of an increase in fiscal year 2005 tax revenue, including $14 million for mental health services (Oldham, Los Angeles Times, 9/21).