Hospital Closing Poll

Gainer Pillsbury, MD
Re: New Online Poll: Agree or Disagree with Closing Community Hospital?

I don’t think that is a very fair question. I don’t think anybody wants CHLB to close, but unless there is a last minute waiver by the state, the hospital will have to close for medical/surgical patients because the facility does not measure up to seismic codes and requirements at this time.

Inpatient psychiatry services could remain since they are exempt from the seismic rules (I guess it’s because the patients are ambulatory and not held down by tubes, IVs etc.) California also will not license an emergency department unless there are inpatient beds so if the inpatient beds go away, the emergency department must close also. An urgent care facility could take its place.

 

Editor’s Note: Online responses at www.beachcomber.news thus far: 22% agree, 73% disagree and 4% are undecided.

 

 

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Comments

Once again the Chicken Little-Dorothy and Toto Mentality attempt to disrupt us that the sky is falling and that we are not in Kansas anymore with its latest findings not only determined but confirmed that our 85 year old Long Beach Community Hospital cannot meet seismic compliance regulation due June 30, 2019. It passed every time before!

This comes with some frightening thoughts such as where will the 3,000 patients Community Hospital sees annually now be seen for emergency care? Never fear there are 7 other acute hospitals nearby. Funny, I can only think of St Mary, Long Beach Memorial and Los Alamitos which are generally so full that they describe themselves as being saturated and cannot take any additional emergency room admits when that moment arrives. Who were the other four? There is also a considerable transportation time added to consider by diverting to one of these other hospitals instead of Community.

There is this big fear about earthquakes by Chicken Little-Dorothy and Toto who likely moved here from Kansas to get away from hurricanes, tornadoes and other drastic weather in the first place. They have yet to learn that California's natural disasters are really only famous for brush fires fueled by the media frenzy that alerts pyromaniacs and illegal fireworks users that the "Santa Ana Winds" are upon us and red flag conditions exist.

Maybe this dangerous fault line mentality should be re-examined and reported to us by experts who have suitable alternative suggestions in mind before they dangle closing the third largest hospital within Long Beach because it could put many people living near Community Hospital into a state apprehension and anxiety wondering where in fact they will have to go should it come to needing immediate emergency or psychiatric care such as are presently available at the Long Beach Community Hospital.

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