UC REGENTS UNANIMOUSLY VOTE TO PARTNER WITH COUNTY ON NEW MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOSPITAL
Today’s historic vote culminated 18 months of discussion about the partnership to restore quality medical services to underserved residents of South Los Angeles
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas today hailed the University of California Board of Regents’ unanimous vote to partner with the County of Los Angeles to provide medical services at the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital.
“Your unequivocal support of this agreement will contribute to the substantial momentum we have already generated and you will be saluted for engaging in a partnership that will have a positive effect on health in LA County,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas told the UC Board, which approved the agreement during its meeting at UCLA.
Across town, at the hospital site in Willowbrook, more than 300 residents and stakeholders celebrated the Regents’ decision during a boisterous rally. Under the agreement, the UC System and County will partner to restore quality medical services to underserved residents of South Los Angeles.
Supervisor Ridley-Thomas made opening the new hospital his top priority upon taking office a year ago. In his speech to the Regents, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas acknowledged the contributions of his colleagues on the Board of Supervisor and Chief Executive Officer Bill Fujioka.
He thanked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his support of the project; UC President Mark Yudof and Vice President Jack Stobo for their leadership in developing this agreement; UC Regent Sherry Lansing and other members of the Health Services Committee; and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who through his family’s foundation put up a $100 million guaranty to protect the UC from financial liability.
During his speech, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas acknowledged that “there is much work still to be done,” but said the County is intent on providing the “highest quality of patient care in a compassionate, culturally competent manner in a seismically compliant, state-of-the-art facility.”
The proposal for the new MLK Hospital is scheduled to be approved by the Board of Supervisors at its Dec. 1 meeting. County and UC officials will work with the Governor’s Office, California Health and Human Services Agency, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to secure the legislative, regulatory, and other programmatic support needed to execute, fund and implement this effort.
The process will include community input in the key implementation stages of New MLK Hospital’s development. Inpatient services could commence at a new hospital in late 2012.
For complete information, click here.
