On Jan. 27, the Hospital Council Board of Directors will finalize this year’s major areas of focus. Discussion topics will include efforts to reduce ambulance patient offload times in various areas throughout California, the potential reopening of Madera Community Hospital, the state and federal election impacts on hospitals, insurer accountability, and the importance of participating in the California Hospital Association Political Action Committee.
Also being discussed are the fires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, which are significantly impacting hospitals, individuals, and the community. These fires are an immediate and devastating crisis — that will also have lasting effects throughout the Los Angeles area and the state of California, including:
- Housing displacement, public health concerns due to air pollution, and infrastructure issues related to roadways and the electrical grid
- Economic costs due to property damage and emergency response
- Environmental consequences, such as soil erosion and water quality degradation
- Hospitals experiencing staff displacement, increased patient loads, impacts to operations, increased budget challenges, and clinic closures
Hospitals in this region have been, and continue to be, at the forefront of this disaster response. These fires prompted us to implement our internal One Team Disaster Response Process, which has helped us coordinate communication on responsibilities between state agencies, federal agencies, and members. The California Hospital Association has also published a web page with federal and state resources to help hospitals respond to the fires.
When disaster strikes, hospitals are here to help. At the forefront of what we do are the people and communities we serve. They are the reason we do what we do, which is to strive for all Californians to have access to quality health care whenever and wherever they need it.