Orange County Hospital and ED Use Varies by Ethnicity

Latino and Asian residents in Orange County are hospitalized and seek emergency department care at lower rates than the county's white residents, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency's Orange County Geographic Health Profile. The data show that Latino residents, who constitute 34% of Orange County's population, account for 28% of ED visits and 27% of regular hospitalizations, while Asian residents, who constitute 16% of the county's population, accounted for 10% of hospitalizations and 7% of ED visits. White residents, who constitute 46% of the population, account for 57% of hospitalizations and 47% of ED visits.

• "OC Latinos Use Less Than Their Share of ER Services" (DePaul, Voice of OC, 8/23).