After the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pulled $200 million in federal funding from Martin L. King Jr./Charles R. Drew Medical Center on Sept. 23, the Los Angeles County Medical Association and the California Medical Association held emergency discussions with Los Angeles County, state and federal officials in an ongoing effort to keep the hospital open. The loss of $200 million represents almost half of the hospital's annual budget of about $380 million.

LACMA President Ralph Di Libero, MD, and CMA Immediate Past President Michael Sexton, MD, issued statements on Oct. 2 about the damage King/Drew's closure would have on the local health system and emergency care.

"A shutdown of King/Drew Medical Center would be detrimental because innocent patients would lose access to vital emergency healthcare," Dr. Di Libero says. "Los Angeles County hospitals are already overcrowded; nearby local hospitals are not sufficiently equipped to absorb the patient load."

CMS officials notified the hospital that it would lose $200 million in Medicare and Medicaid funding because it did not meet nine of the 23 "Conditions of Participation," standards the hospital must meet in order to be eligible for federal funding. A CMS report requires the hospital to make changes prior to reapplying for federal funding.

"Coupled with the closure of the emergency department at Centinela Freeman Health System just 8 miles away, the closure of King/Drew would tear a gaping hole in emergency services in the heart of LA County," Dr. Sexton says. "Combined, these two emergency departments care for 100,000 patients a year. If King/Drew were to close, these patients would be forced to travel greater distances for emergency services in other already overcrowded emergency departments resulting in longer wait times, increased ambulance diversions and compromised quality of emergency care for everyone in LA County."

There will be no immediate change in King/Drew's day-to-day hospital operations, according to King/Drew CEO Antoinette Smith Epps, because Medicare and Medicaid funding is scheduled to cease at the end of this year.

At press time, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Director Bruce Chernof, MD, approved a proposal to hand over the management of King/Drew Medical Center to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, a more stable, efficient LA County hospital 10 miles away. Dr. Di Libero says LACMA will monitor the situation.