LAC USC Medical Center

Operations

Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center is one of the largest public hospitals and medical training centers in the United States, and the largest single provider of healthcare in Los Angeles County. It provides healthcare services for the region's medically underserved, is a Level I trauma center and treats over 28 percent of the region's trauma victims (2005). It provides care for half of all AIDS and sickle-cell anemia patients in Southern California. LAC+USC Medical Center is owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles.

Although by law the emergency room must evaluate all patients to determine if a life-threatening emergency exists, regardless of ability to pay, hospital care is not free. LAC+USC does not accepts self-pay patients or patients covered by private insurance.. They solely acceptMedicare, and Medicaid (Medi-Cal). If a patient does not have insurance or is not covered by Medi-Cal, Medicaid, or Medicare, nor have the means to pay for services, patients are denied service in the clinics entirely. Emergency room patients presented with a bill, but are then directed to the Financial Services department adjacent to Emergency, where patients meet with counselors to review their current financial means to determine a paymentwhich plan. If you don't qualify for government entitlement programs there is no financial assistance program available. NO cost assistance or low wage assistance doesn't exist if you're not enroll in a government entitlement programs.

Since the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Los Angeles County has been further alienated low income patience who don't receive welfare. Approval process has been greatly streamline approving only those who receive Med-cal. LA County and State of California programs do not aide patients in paying for some or all of their medical services. Under the Affordable Care Act, Ability-To-Pay program is no longer available. (A program which previously reduce per visit payments for medical services to the low double digits or required no payment at all, but had to be renewed every six months). Patients are sometimes directed or aided in qualifying for the Medi-Cal programs but requirements are very stiff . Elderly, disabled and low fixed income seniors areLA denied service for being pennies or the allowable income. High health cost expenses and housing cost are not considered when determining income eligibility. The County ended its Healthy Way LA financial assistance program and moved those patients under that plan to the PPACA expanded Medi-Cal program automatically allowing patients to choose a pay per point plan or choose an HMO plan. However, the facility rejects these plans currently and denies plan holders these plans service. Patients were then allowed to choose a private doctor and are not allowed continue to see their current doctors at LA County Comprehensive Health Care Centers or other LA County funded clinics and continue to use the Los Angeles County Department of Health Care Services, including LAC+USC, for their health care.

The LAC+USC Medical Center provides a full spectrum of emergency, inpatient and outpatient services to only Medi-Cal recipients.These include medical, surgical, emergency/trauma, obstetrical, gynecological and pediatric services as well as psychiatric services for adults, adolescents and children. Some LAC+USC doctors are faculty of the Keck School of Medicine of USC; care is also provided by more than 1,000 medical residents.

LAC+USC is one of the busiest public hospitals in the Western United States, with nearly 39,000 inpatients discharged, and one million ambulatory care patient visits each year. The Emergency Department is one of the world's busiest, with more than 150,000 visits per year. LAC+USC operates one of only three burn centers in Los Angeles County and one of the few Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Southern California. LAC+USC is also the home of the Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health, which has prepared registered nurses for professional practice since its founding in 1895.

LAC+USC also serves as the host facility for the U.S. Navy's Trauma Training Center, allowing uniformed medical professionals valuable exposure to trauma cases that prepare them to treat battlefield injury on the front lines with the United States Marine Corps, at sea with the Navy, or ashore at Fleet Hospitals and Shock Trauma Platoons.

In 2013, American Cancer Society awarded LAC+USC with the Harold P. Freeman Award in recognition of the hospital's achievements to reduce cancer disparities among medically underserved populations.

Although employees are encouraged to complete their minimal accreditation, this teaching hospital does not encourage employees to seek a higher education through career completion.

New facility

The original hospital, located at 1200 State Street, opened in 1923. Its art-deco construction earned it the nickname the Great Stone Mother and had 800 patient beds. The 1994 Northridge earthquake on January 17, 1994 renewed concerns about building safety codes, and specifically those for hospitals. The California Hospital Seismic Safety Law was signed into law on September 21, 1994. The new law took the 1200 State Street building out of compliance of earthquake and fire safety codes.

To address the problem, a new modern facility was proposed and constructed nearby, at 2051 Marengo Street. Designed by a joint venture of HOK and LBL Associated Architects, the new $1 billion hospital consists of three linked buildings: a clinic tower, a diagnostic and treatment tower, and an inpatient tower, in total supporting 600 patient beds. The new facility has a larger number of intensive care beds to handle patients in the aftermath of disasters.

The new facility was ready by 2008, and on November 8 of that year, the new hospital was opened. Transfer of all inpatients from Women's and Children's Hospital and the 1200 State Street building made the retirement of the original hospital complex official.

The old building at 1200 State Street still stands. The Wellness Center, on the first floor of the old building, was opened in 2014. It is open to the public and includes offices for nonprofit organizations, community outreach and classes for wellness activities, a dance studio, a small YMCA on State Street, and extensive new landscaping. While this building no longer meets the California Hospital Seismic Safety Law, it does meet current seismic standards for non-hospital use.

History

The Los Angeles County Hospital and the University of Southern California Medical School were first affiliated in 1885, five years after USC was founded. It was originally established as a 100-bed hospital with 47 patients. The present-day LAC+USC complex is adjacent to the University of Southern California Health Sciences Campus, which includes the USC Keck School of Medicine, USC School of Pharmacy, Keck Hospital of USC, and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital.

In 2004, the hospital appointed its first female Chief of Staff, Cynthia Stotts, D.O., in the 158-year history of the hospital. She was also the first osteopathic physician to serve in that position.

Transportation

A station on the El Monte Busway for the Metro Silver Line and Foothill Transit Silver Streak is located within walking distance from the hospital. Additionally, Metro lines 70, 71, 106, 251, 751, 605 serve the hospital.

In popular culture

Deaths