BILL ANALYSIS
ACR 2
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 3, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Anthony Portantino, Chair
ACR 2 (Hall) - As Introduced: December 1, 2008
SUBJECT : Management of Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital.
SUMMARY : Urges the University of California (UC) to expedite
negotiations with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
and the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science (Drew
University) to discuss the future management of Martin Luther
King, Jr. Hospital (MLKH) in the Watts/Willowbrook area of south
Los Angeles County.
EXISTING LAW pursuant to the State Constitution, provides for UC
as a public trust under the governance of the UC Board of
Regents.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Background : UC operates academic medical centers at
five campuses. Their primary mission is to support the clinical
teaching programs of the five schools of medicine located on the
Davis, Irvine, San Diego, San Francisco, and Los Angeles
campuses, as well as programs in UC's other health sciences
schools. At the request of the state, UC assumed operation of
three former county hospitals for the Davis, Irvine, and San
Diego campuses rather than constructing teaching hospitals of
its own. Drew University is a private nonprofit corporation
with its own board of trustees. Since 1973, the State has
appropriated funds to UC to support clinical health science
education, research, and public service, operated by UCLA in
conjunction with Drew University. The state provided Drew
University with $8.7 million in the 2008 Budget Act for both the
instructional and service programs.
MLKH closure : MLKH, also called King-Drew Medical Center,
served as the primary teaching site for UCLA-Drew University
medical students and Drew University medical residents. Serious
concerns involving patient care activities led the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors, which has administrative and fiscal
responsibility for the hospital, to close MLKH in August 2007.
Two hospitals have taken most of the trauma patients who would
have gone to MLKH: St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, which
ACR 2
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is two miles east of MLKH, and Harbor-UCLA, which is 10 miles
southwest.
What is the problem ? According to the author, the 1.6 million
residents of Service Planning Area 6 of Los Angeles County were
left without a public hospital in their area when MLKH closed.
The author seeks to make it clear that the reopening of MLKH is
a top priority of the California Legislature. The author
believes that UC should administer MLKH because of its success
in administering public hospitals and the need for medical
doctors and other health professional to be trained and to work
locally.
Discussions underway : For the past several months,
representatives from UC, Los Angeles County and the
Schwarzenegger Administration have been discussing an
arrangement that would allow MLKH to reopen as a viable
healthcare facility. The parties hope to have a plan to present
to the Legislature and public in the next few months.
Previous legislation : This measure is a reintroduction of ACR
159 (Dymally) of 2008, which was never heard in committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960