Task Force Established To Save Emergency

Care At Community Medical Center Long Beach

A task force made up of business, community and medical leaders is convening to come up with solutions to sustain emergency care services at MemorialCare Community Medical Center Long Beach. The group, which is supported by the Community Hospital Long Beach Foundation, is meeting on February 26, 5 p.m., at the Assistance League of Long Beach, 6220 E. Spring St. Click here for more information.

 

Legislation Could Keep Community Medical Center Open Longer

Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell introduced a bill to the state legislature today to keep MemorialCare Community Medical Center Long Beach open longer. If passed, Assembly Bill 2591 would extend the amount of time the hospital has to meet  seismic compliance requirements. MemorialCare Health System, which operates the hospital, announced late last year that it would have to cease emergent care at the facility by June 30, 2019 due to state law related to seismic safety. The hospital sits on an active fault, and MemorialCare representatives have stated that retrofitting the hospital would be too costly.

 

New Bill Would Incentivize Housing For Lower And Middle Class

Yesterday, San Diego representative Todd Gloria introduced Assembly Bill 2372, which would incentivize companies to build higher density residential developments with smaller units near public transit. In an interview with The Mercury News, Gloria explained that the state’s housing crisis would not be solved with more luxury developments but by creating housing for the lower and middle class.

 

National Health Expenditures To Increase 5.3% This Year

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimated that national health care spending will increase at an annual rate of 5.5% through 2026. Health care’s share of gross domestic product is expected to increase from 17.9% to 19.7% by 2026. In 2018, health care spending is projected to increase by 5.3%. CMS attributed these spending projections to “trends in disposable personal income, increases in prices for medical goods and services, and shifts in enrollment from private health insurance to Medicare that result from the continued aging of the baby-boom generation into Medicare eligibility.”

 

ICT’s “Daddy Long Legs” Opens Next Weekend

International City Theatre’s production of the musical “Daddy Long Legs” opens a week from tomorrow with a preview on February 21. The show runs through March 11 at the Beverly O’Neill Theater, 330 E. Seaside Way. Click here for tickets and more information.