Three More Hospitals Closed by Pacific Health
Bellflower Medical Center, Newport Specialty Hospital, and Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center's L.A. and Hawthorne campuses will be closed.
Wednesday's announcement brings the total closures by the Tustin-based company to four, following the closure of Anaheim General Hospital last week.
"Pacific Health Corp. has taken the difficult decision to suspend services at all three of its remaining hospitals as we work to resolve the legal issues facing our company," according to the company's statement.
The company was fined this month more than $7 million by the state for failing to pay wages and issuing invalid checks.
"These issues include the settlement we reached with the Department of Justice last year, as well as other legal matters from our past, which have made it impossible for us to continue operating in this especially challenging economic climate for all health-care providers."
The hospitals' emergency departments will close Thursday. Current patients will continue to receive care while plans are made for their transfer to other medical facilities, according to the company.
A Pacific Health Corp. official noted that the "sub-acute care" units at Anaheim General's Buena Park Campus and Newport Speicalty Hospital will continue to provide service to speicalty patients until transfer plans are confirmed.
It is still unclear how many jobs will affected due to the closure of the four hostpitals.
The culture of Pacific Health was one of dishonesty and fraud throughout. Years and years it went on. This is the best thing that ever could have happened for potential patients of this cesspool was closure. The next best thing would be jailing the officers of Pacific Health.