MLK

The decrease in public hospitals in the U.S. has resulted in diminished access to healthcare for vulnerable and low income populations and has overcrowded the remaining healthcare agencies that still exist. The U.S. already suffers from an under supply of physicians to care and treat the whole population. The decrease in public hospitals minimizes options for Medic-Aid, Medi-Care, and SCHIP patients to find care. Public hospitals serve the communities by providing primary medical care, specialty care such as OB/GYN, and pediatrics….without close, accessible public hospitals, many families will have to navigate further or find alternative modes of transportation to reach further healthcare hospitals or community clinics. I have spoken to one of the nurses at MCA where I work and she was a former nurse at MKL before they closed down. Parts of MLK are still open such as their internal medicine department. However, the OB/GYN and pediatrics units were shut down. In an attempt to save the maternal and peds units, the nursing staff compiled documents reporting the number of women and children they served and for what purposes. Their protest to save MLK were based on the grounds that the hospital was a vital resource for women and their families and by shutting down the hospital, these women would be left underserved. Unfortunately, they were defeated and MLK shut down and many families were left to seek healthcare elsewhere. They were forced to find healthcare outside of their living and working vicinity because of the scarcity of public hospitals in LA. Many may have even stopped seeking healthcare due to transportation limits.