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A turning point in history: How did health care in Los Angeles County evolve from the 1860s to the present day?
Health Services Los Angeles County is the second largest municipal medical system in the United States, second only to New York City Health + Hospitals. The system has multiple hospitals and clinics that provide comprehensive medical services to local residents. Since the 1860s, medical services in Los Angeles have undergone changes, continuously adjusting their operating models and policies based on urban development and social needs.
Origins: Medical Services in the 1860s
Under California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 17000, local governments are required to serve as safety net medical providers. In the 1860s, Los Angeles County appointed a county doctor for the first time and established small hospitals for the poor. This initial facility set the cornerstone for the development of medical services and demonstrated fundamental care for vulnerable groups.
"Medical services should be a basic right for every resident, regardless of their socioeconomic status."
An expanding medical system
In 1913, a charity department was established in Los Angeles, including five departments: County Hospital, Farm, Outdoor Rescue, Olive View Sanitarium and Cemetery Department. In the decades that followed, population growth and increased medical needs in the urban area prompted the department to incorporate multiple medical facilities.
In the following decades, with the end of global war and the advancement of social democracy, medical services in Los Angeles County were further expanded, including the current Los Angeles General Hospital, Harbor UCLA Medical Center, Olive View UCLA Medical centers and many other institutions.
Reform and integration
In 1966, the county charity department was split into the Department of Hospitals and the Department of Public and Social Services due to its large and inflexible organizational structure. Over time, the Los Angeles City Health Department was merged into the County Health Department in the 1960s, further promoting the integration of health services.
"The integration of the medical system is not just a merger of departments, but also a reshaping of citizens' health concepts."
Further reform and modernization
In 2012-2013, Harbor UCLA Medical Center and Rancho Los Amigo National Rehabilitation Center ranked among the best in the "U.S. News and World Report" rankings, demonstrating their high standards of medical service quality.
In response to increasingly severe medical needs, Los Angeles County launched Healthy Way LA in 2011, integrating hundreds of thousands of uninsured residents into publicly funded health plans. Considered a successful transition from the acute care model to the primary care model.
The current medical system
The current Los Angeles County health care network includes four hospitals, two ambulatory care centers, and sixteen health centers. These facilities coordinate with each other to provide primary care, preventive care and specialty services to residents of all ages.
“Through innovative community partnership programs, Los Angeles County health services are further expanding coverage to include the uninsured in the health care system.”
Learn from history and look forward to the future
As medical costs rise and people's demand for health services changes, Los Angeles County's medical system continues to make adjustments in policies and service models. From the initial poverty relief to today's public health management, this history not only maps the social structure of Los Angeles County, but also reveals the evolution of medical services.
How should the future medical services in Los Angeles County be further reformed to meet the increasingly diverse health needs of residents?
