Domino Effect Feared From Closures of Emergency Rooms

[spinbaby]

Los Angeles County, which has lost six emergency rooms in a little over a year, is on the brink of a far more serious problem, facing more closures that could jeopardize emergency care for tens of thousands of residents, according to public officials and independent analysts.

The next round of cuts is expected to target large, heavily used emergency rooms at private hospitals. If they proceed as expected, they will reduce by a further 10% to 15% the county's emergency room capacity, which already has lost the ability to serve 75,000 patients in the last 14 months, hospital and healthcare officials say.

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"It's very precarious for every single one of us," she said. "Whether you have insurance or not, if there's not a bed for you, you're not going to get in."

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