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Resolution
ON MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR HARBOR HOSPITAL
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF MAINTAINING THE MARTIN
LUTHER KING JUNIOR HARBOR HOSPITAL OPEN AND
ESTABLISHING A COMPETENT, TERTIARY,
COMPREHENSIVE, AND AFFORDABLE MEDICAL CARE
FACILITY IN PLACE OF THE GROSSLY FAILED LOS
ANGELES COUNTY MANAGED MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR
HARBOR HOSPITAL IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES.
WHEREAS, the multicultural
coalition known as the South Central-Willowbrook
Coalition for Quality Healthcare, compromised of
California LULAC, the Latino Leadership
Roundtable, Project Islamic HOPE, Los Angeles
Humanity Foundation, and segments of the faith
community, which represents the richness and
complexity of today’s service and area
residents, be included in all official dialogues
and consultations regarding the LA County’s and
State of California’s deliberations and
community input sessions dealing with the future
policy plans of the hospital; and
WHEREAS, the California
Department of Health Services, in a 32-page
inspection document detailing findings from nine
inspections between October 2004 and June 2007,
concluded that the hospital has failed to ensure
the competency of its nurses and the protection
of its patients; and
WHEREAS, the King-Harbor
Hospital is a shadow of its once potent mission
to serve the South Central Los Angeles
community, has ended its physician training
programs and reduced the number of beds to 48
from about 250, thus downsized care by 80%; and
WHEREAS, King-Harbor Hospital
served 48,000 emergency room patients in South
Central Los Angeles last year as a trauma center
and now functions as a referral station for
patients who cannot afford the time to go to
another facility because of the emergent nature
of their illness; and
WHEREAS, the MOST recent death
of Edith Isabel Rodriguez, a 43-year-old woman,
who died May 9 after writhing on the floor of
the emergency room lobby for 45 minutes as
employees ignored her, be the last senseless
death due to staff negligence; and
WHEREAS, the hospital serves a
community of 1.6 million people, the majority of
those being of Latino ancestry, the reduction in
services or closure of this facility will add
extreme and cruel hardship to an already
challenged community and therefore any temporary
closure and transition of new ownership be
conducted with all due manner of humanity and
compassion owed; and
WHEREAS, any new management
that is interested in running the Medical Center
will only be granted Coalition with support if
such organization pledges to work positively
with Labor to honor and respect those employees
who are an asset to the mission and within the
collective bargaining agreements and culture
required; and
NOW BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE
2007 LULAC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY:
1. SUPPORTS AND ENDORSES CALIFORNIA LULAC AND
THE South Central-Willowbrook Coalition for
Quality Healthcare and its leadership, AS OUR
OFFICIAL COALITION AND VOICE.
2. ENDORSES THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE COALITION,
TO KEEP THE HOSPITAL OPEN AND TO USHER IN
COMPETENT MANAGEMENT OF THE MARTIN LUTHER KING
JR. MEDICAL CENTER BY KEEPING FUNDING INTACT TO
SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OR PLACE HOSPITAL IN PRIVATE
HANDS.
3. ADVOCATES FOR COMPETENT, COMPREHENSIVE AND
AFFORDABLE QUALITY HEALTHCARE FOR ALL RESIDENTS
WITHIN THE SERVICE SCOPE OF KING-HARBOR
HOSPITAL.
Approved this on the 14th day
of July 2007
Rosa Rosales
LULAC National President |
