Medical

The current economic crisis in California has had both an adverse and positive effect on the medical field. In the Los Angeles Times a story featured the reopening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital in Los Angeles County. Though the scheduled opening of the hospital is not until 2012, it is an eagerly anticipated event because, in this harsh economy, the surrounding community is in dire need of medical attention. The necessity of the community has provoked the reopening. However, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that hospitals in the San Diego area are having financial troubles. Some patients are unable to make their payments while some patients are choosing to forgo operations. Remodeling projects are on hold and jobs are being consolidated or left unfilled. Lastly, The San Francisco Chronicle presented a piece on Governor Schwarzenegger’s campaign for budget changes to repair the $41 billion deficit. The main aspect of debate was Prop A1; a measure that would establish a cap on spending. Prop A1 is heavily opposed by Health Access California, a health-care reform advocacy organization, because it does not provide ample funds for the growing senior population or the ability to battle medical inflation in communities.

photo: Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of Scripps Health, at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla last month. (Earnie Grafton / Union-Tribune)

K.A.L.