Posted by
Playful Walrus on Monday, April 14, 2008 3:43:28 PM
The County of Los Angeles has lost their Director of Health Services again. That’s the person who oversees the hospitals, among other things. Fortunately, Public Health was spun off not too long ago into a separate department.
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers Garrett Therolf, Mary Engel and Jean-Paul Renaud, among others bring us this report.
Dr. Bruce A. Chernof, whose relationship with the Board of Supervisors had grown acrimonious, told officials his exit was unrelated to the failed negotiations over Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital.
That’s the place nicknamed “Killer King” because politics dictated how the place was (mis)run more than anything else. The hospital serves an area traditionally considered “black”, but is also overrun with illegal aliens.
He leaves as the county Department of Health Services faces a projected budget shortfall of $750 million over the next two years and undertakes the knotty task of moving County-USC Medical Center from its Depression-era facility to a new, smaller complex.
It always seems like there is a problem.
The county operates the second-largest publicly funded healthcare system in the nation, with an annual budget exceeding $3.3 billion, three general hospitals and a network of clinics that together treat about 700,000 patients a year, most of them uninsured.
A great many of the uninsured are illegal aliens. That, and the public employee unions are two of the major reasons Health Services is constantly in the red and there are problems with this government health care system. Another is trying to cater to directives from the State of California and the federal government.
Chernof had been promoted to the top department job in 2006 after a series of directors left with short tenures.
Many other County of Los Angeles departments have recently had their Directors retire or resign, too.
Based on a variety of health indicators, the South Los Angeles area remains among the most disadvantaged communities in the nation. More people die of lung cancer, stroke, diabetes and heart disease there than in any other place in L.A. County.
What about gunshots? Don’t forget those!
The county has long had a hard time keeping health services chiefs. Officials have a history of publicly browbeating them and second-guessing their actions to try to right the beleaguered system.
It’s a really tough Board to deal with. There are three Democrats and two Republicans, though I believe the positions are officially nonpartisan. District 1, created specifically for Latinos by court order, is Gloria Molina’s. Molina is notorious for her public tongue-lashings of county officials. She seems to prefer bringing in outsiders to run things. District 2 is Yvonne B. Burke’s, and is the “black” district. Burke is retiring after a long, distinguished career. Although Democrat, she sometimes champions (at least ceremonially, if not by vote) causes more often associated with conservatives. She has tried to keep that hospital open. Her replacement will be an African-American. District 3 is Zev Yaroslavsky’s, and is the one that has Hollywood and Malibu. He represents and area where environmental whackos are quite vocal. Zev is quite the orator and debator. Most pundits assume he’s going to run for Los Angeles Mayor or would want a County “Mayor” position, should one be created. District 4 is Don Knabe’s. Knabe, I believe, is an ordained minister and fought hard to keep the cross in the county seal. Although Republican, he often votes with the previous three Board members. District 5 is Mike Antonovich’s. Antonovich is the staunch conservative of the bunch. He has served as a reserve police officer and strongly champions law enforcement. He also makes it a point to point how just how much illegal aliens are costing the county.
The County Board of Supervisors has executive and legislative authority for the county, and the last time an encumbent was voted out was in 1980.
At times, Molina and fellow supervisors' frustration over County-USC and other issues has boiled over during public tongue-lashings directed at Chernof, especially after state inspectors said patients at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center were in "immediate jeopardy" because of an overcrowded emergency room.
Supervisors repeatedly complained that health officials provided few answers to their questions. And when reports were produced, supervisors complained they were confusing and inaccurate.