For Immediate Release

Los Angeles, CA

September 25, 2006

Press Contact:

David Sommers

Phone: (213) 974-1095

Fax: (213) 626-6941

DSommers@lacbos.org

Knabe Responds to King/Drew Inspection

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe issued the following statement regarding the results of the recent Federal inspection of King/Drew Medical Center:

“The emergency health services provided by King/Drew Medical Center are absolutely critical to the communities served by this hospital. In the larger picture, these services are also critical to the safety net of our entire County. Los Angeles County has suffered the loss of several emergency rooms and hundreds of inpatient beds in the past decade as private hospitals have shutdown. Losing similar services at King/Drew would push the strain onto the few other hospitals remaining in that part of our County. We need to look at every available option to us to keep King/Drew open and I will carefully review the options put forth by our Director of Health Services, Dr. Bruce Chernof.”

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