Posted on 12/03/2004 8:52:17 AM PST by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal judge has allowed the county to continue with its plans to close the trauma center at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center by denying a temporary restraining order sought by doctors and residents.
The motion by Friends of King/Drew argued that the court needed to intervene immediately so community members would not be deprived of emergency medical services. The court filing rejected Thursday is part of a civil rights lawsuit alleging that closing the trauma unit would have a disproportionate affect South Los Angeles residents.
Health department officials have said they need to close the hospital's trauma center to save the rest of the hospital. Medical lapses have contributed to several patient deaths in recent years, leading some in the community to dub the hospital "Killer King."
The hospital has been the subject of several surveys, including some by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that found deficiencies in nursing and patient care. The findings jeopardize $200 million in federal funding and the hospital's accreditation.
The hospital was born from the 1965 Watts Riot after a state commission found that a lack of public health care facilities contributed to the community's anger.
California Hospital Medical Center, south of downtown, opened a trauma center this week and is expected to handle many of the trauma patients from King/Drew. The county started ramping down services at King/Drew's trauma center Tuesday and it is expected to be closed by Feb. 1.
When will liberals learn that you can't create goods and services by judicial fiat?
Caused by illegal immigration driven cost overruns. Nobody will say it but all know it.
Looks like they did just that after the riots, and the hospital stayed around for 40 years.
They have never passed certification from the Joint Commission, yet they keep getting conditional waivers.
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