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The Acorn Camarillo Acorn Moorpark Acorn Simi Valley Acorn Thousand Oaks Acorn |
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Los Robles hospital came to the rescue Los Robles hospital came to the rescue Your editorial comments following a letter appearing in the July 26 edition implies that the explanation as to why an emergency department must be domiciled in an acute care hospital should be regarded with suspicion. Your statement appears to imply that special interests are the reason. This is misleading. California State law, not a hospital corporation or the hospital industry, regulates and licenses the operation of basic public emergency rooms. These regulations are intended to protect the health and safety of the public. We, the public, have certain expectations of what will be available at these faculties if the need arises. The casual observer may only see what is contained within the emergency department not understanding the need for a broader range of equipment and facilities. However, upon closer inspection, additional services which can only be provided in a hospital must be and in fact, are required by state law to be [1] immediately available, [2] available 24 hours a day and [3] be located onsite. Some of the most basic of these services include surgical services, intensive care beds, a laboratory and blood bank. My nephew is alive today because of the former Westlake Hospital and their participation in the Los Angeles County Trauma Network. When Westlake Hospital closed, the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Commission recommended the L.A. County Emergency Services Agency pursue the Los Robles Medical Center to become a Los Angeles County approved Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP). While a number of changes were necessary to meet EDAP certification standards, Los Robles Medical Center voluntarily complied. This benefited the Conejo Valley residents in both Los Angeles County and Ventura County. As the chair of the Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services Commission and as a local resident, I want to express my appreciation to Los Robles Medical Center for being responsive and making more manageable the difficult situation which arose with the closure of the Westlake Hospital. John M. Edelston, Chairperson Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Commission |
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