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AV Hospital files claim against L.A. County

by The AV Times Staff • April 13, 2015

Antelope Valley Hospital is a 420-bed district hospital and Level II trauma center.
Antelope Valley Hospital is a 420-bed district hospital and Level II trauma center located in Lancaster.

LOS ANGELES – Antelope Valley Hospital filed a claim Monday against Los Angeles County and its Board of Supervisors for failing to properly administer and allocate billions of dollars of property tax revenue per Measure B to L.A. County trauma centers.

The hospital’s legal team will hold a press conference Tuesday in Los Angeles to detail the next steps to be taken by AV Hospital to protect its interests and its patients.

Approved by voters in 2002, Measure B is an annual special parcel tax to provide funding for expanding a county-wide system of trauma centers and increase readiness in the event of a biological terrorism attack.

AV Hospital, which serves 5 percent of the County’s population and handles nearly 12.5 percent of the County’s trauma and ER visits, receives less than one-half of 1 percent of all Measure B funds annually, according to the hospital’s attorneys, McNicholas & McNicholas and The Sutton Law Firm.

AV Hospital alleges that the County consistently failed to conduct comprehensive assessments of its trauma system, failed to use Measure B funds to address the County’s most pressing trauma needs, and failed to fulfill the intent of Measure B to expand trauma services countywide.

The claim is a precursor to a lawsuit that will seek equitable relief, economic damages and other appropriate relief on behalf of AV Hospital, representatives said in a press release.

“This is not how the voters intended their tax dollars to be allocated when they voted for Measure B,” stated Patrick McNicholas, Partner at McNicholas & McNicholas. “The harm inflicted on AV Hospital and its community is exactly what Measure B was trying to prevent when it was enacted. The time has come for AV Hospital to stand up for the funding to which it is legally entitled.”

“The County and Board of Supervisors quickly disbanded Measure B’s mandatory Oversight Committee – established to ensure proper distribution of the billions of dollars generated – leaving no independent oversight whatsoever,” stated Dr. Larry Stock, Medical Director of the AV Hospital Emergency Department. “Further, while other hospitals such as Ronald Reagan UCLA and LAC + USC Medical Center are being funded by the State and County, AV Hospital is consciously being underfunded and ignored.”

“As a not-for-profit district hospital, we are hopeful that litigation can be avoided,” stated CEO of AV Hospital Dennis Knox in a news release. “However, we will take the necessary steps to assure that we can continue to provide critically needed health care services to the thousands of L.A. County residents who rely on us daily, as we have for the past 60 years.”

Background on AV Hospital and Measure B

More than 25 years ago, Los Angeles County’s trauma centers began to withdraw from the system due to the increasing cost of uncompensated care for patients with no insurance or ability to pay for emergency services. In response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Measure B’s parcel tax was created to avoid the life-threatening shutdown of Los Angeles County’s trauma network and to expand emergency medical services.

In November 2002, Measure B, entitled “Preservation of Trauma Centers and Emergency Medical Services; Bioterrorism Response,” was voted into law by more than 73 percent of the County’s voters. The Board of Supervisors implemented the Measure B parcel tax of 3 cents per square foot on structural improvements to real property, increasing this tax gradually over time. In Fiscal Year 2011-2012 alone, the measure generated more than $256 million in revenue.

According to a State Auditor’s report, the County gave more money in the past few years to its own County non-trauma hospital than it gave to all 12 non-County trauma hospitals combined. [Read the report here.]

AV Hospital serves 5 percent of Los Angeles County’s population, yet receives less than any other trauma and non-trauma center in the County – less than one-half of 1 percent of all Measure B funds annually.

–

Filed Under: Health, Lancaster

20 comments for "AV Hospital files claim against L.A. County"

  1. Somebody says

    April 15, 2015 at 6:38 am

    I’m sorry but I’m not interested in having to read about how AV Hospital is complaining about how they don’t have money. Every time I have ever gone there for E.R, to give birth,and to visit loved ones in their recovery rooms, I have gotten poor service. Yes, have reported all of the incidents while there but no one even bats an eye. Maybe if they gave better service, they’d be seeing the money they ‘deserve’

    • anotherdummy says

      April 15, 2015 at 8:25 am

      Your anecdotal “experiences” don’t change the fact that the County of Los Angeles is and has been misappropriating funds.

    • Dude says

      April 15, 2015 at 10:06 am

      Perhaps if the hospital had more funds, they would give better service?? Or do you get top notch service at McDonald’s as compared to Spago’s?

  2. DR PHAM says

    April 14, 2015 at 11:08 am

    AV HOSPITAL IS NOT A COUNTY HOSPITAL IT IS A FOR PROFIT HOSPITAL NOT FOR POOR PEOPLE.

    • CS says

      April 14, 2015 at 2:14 pm

      Antelope Valley Hospital is actually a not-for-profit district hospital, which is part of the Antelope Valley Healthcare District. Healthcare districts were created after World War II to address a shortage of access to acute hospital care for many areas in California, particularly rural communities. Last year district hospitals collectively provided $54 million in uncompensated care.

      As a public hospital in the most genuine sense, Antelope Valley Hospital is committed to fulfilling its charter to serve the healthcare needs of everyone in the Antelope Valley Healthcare District. To this end, we ensure that our services are available to anyone facing an urgent or life-threatening health emergency – regardless of their ability to pay.

      • Birth Tourism is Bad says

        April 14, 2015 at 5:28 pm

        it may be a not for profit hospital but Rex was trying to make a quick buck offering birth tourism and skirting the process. glad he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar

        • William says

          April 14, 2015 at 5:47 pm

          @Birth Tourism

          Rex’s ‘hand in the cookie jar’ reminds me of How To Catch A Monkey.

          You put a banana in a sealed box.

          Cut a small hole in the box.

          The monkey reaches in to grab the banana but can’t get it out of the hole while holding it sideways and won’t let go of the banana either.

          So, you just have to go up and grab the monkey trapped with his hand in the box still holding the banana.

          Rex is only slightly smarter than a monkey and not at all as charming.

          • moll flanders says

            April 15, 2015 at 9:43 am

            Your really bad analogy only makes you look less smarter than Rex Parris.

          • William says

            April 15, 2015 at 1:59 pm

            Oh, moll flounders

            Now you’re asking for it again.

            Rex got caught lying about the birth tourism just like a monkey with a banana in his hand that won’t let go.

            He did the same lying routine with the Palmdale Power Plant.

            Any issue that comes along is like a box with a banana in it to Rex. He sticks his hand in it to grab the banana (jumps on the issue) and is trapped.

            Poor moll doesn’t get analogies nor much else.

            So, moll. Why don’t you ever, ever have anything intelligent to say or anything interesting or funny? You just spout the same old, same old like ‘bird’ used to do.

            BTW Where is the ‘bird’? She disappears and you take over seamlessly with the same nonsense. Separated at birth were ya?

            But, do carry on. You can’t help yourself and nobody else can help you.

            And, speaking of ‘smart’….. Your grammar is as poor as your thinking. It’s ‘less smart’ not ‘less smarter’. It’s so cute that you screwed up over the word ‘smart’ while desperately trying to be smart.

            I seem to recall you saying that I think I’m smarter than you are and then you go ahead and prove it to be so.

            Here’s moll discussing ‘smartness’, a subject foreign to her.

            moll flanders
            March 30, 2015 at 5:45 pm

            Strawman Willy…I completely agree. William likes to talk about how much smarter he is than everyone else. He’s not convincing.

            Like I said before, moll, I am smarter than you are and you proved it once again. But, I never said I was smarter than everyone else till I said I was smarter than you in reply to your comment. But, it’s obvious just by reading your comments.

            Thank you so much for illustrating it today. Bless you.

          • moll flanders says

            April 15, 2015 at 3:45 pm

            Your comment is one dimensional William, as always. If your going to talk about birth tourism, than I would suggest you read (do your homework), before you comment about a particular subject. You went off in a direction about Rex Parris with his hand in the cookie jar. You’re not exposing anything Willy. Everyone knows his position, but there are other players involved, many others. This isn’t just a Rex Parris thing William, but you only just mention him. That makes your comment one dimensional. I laugh off the rest of your comment, and know how insecure you are.

          • William says

            April 15, 2015 at 4:58 pm

            And, moll flounders is mufti-dimensional

            She’s all over the place like cat pooh all over the neighborhood.

            Your comment is just more of the same old, same old, moll.

            You are “less smarter” than most as you so clearly showed us.

            Plus, you have such a short attention span that you failed to notice that ‘birth tourism’ and ‘cookie jar’ were in the previous comment that I replied to, yet, in your small mind, you act as though I brought it up.

            Rex lied about his involvement with the birth tourism just as he lied about the Palmdale Power Plant and you simply swallow the lies. Good for you.

            Rex is a liar and you defend and protect him. What’s that make you, moll?

            Doesn’t matter if it’s birth tourism, Palmdale’s power plant, Jonathan Ervin, Mayor Ledford, Palmdale’s fireworks (he told a whopper on TWC3 News about how many kids were injured each year by fireworks) or how fabulously successful the blvd is,(it needs ‘saving’ after 4 years during an improving economy) Rex lies about everything and he’s your guy apparently.

            You’ll never win, moll, as long as you align with Rex the Liar and maintain your nonsensical POV on everything. You will lose every time. Count on it.

            moll says there are others involved, many others but doesn’t name names because vague references are all she can muster and she thinks she is being “more smarter”. Fat chance. Reminds me of Fox ‘news’ and their famous opening line for every segment “Some say…….” and then they promote their right wing agenda based on those anonymous ‘some say’ peoples.

            Go ahead now and blather on. You are so good at it. And, you are simply projecting your own insecurity. I’m on firm ground here and you have one foot on a banana peel and the other in quicksand.

            Say Hi to the bird for me. She lives in your head, doesn’t she, with the other voices?

            You will have to invent another username because I’ll remind you of your ‘less smarter’ness (your own words) from now on. Then you’ll lose it.

            And, an angel will get its wings.

        • James Elskamp says

          September 21, 2015 at 3:37 pm

          I went to ER in June 2014 apx.7500 in bills started to pay bills monthly but I quit getting statement in mail and stupid me I thought I was all set. They sent the bill for collection I called they said nothing they could do. I put it on credit card at 16.99percent what can I do. I can’t afford to pay that bill either.

      • DR MORAN says

        April 14, 2015 at 5:34 pm

        NO THEY DONT ACCEPT ANYBODY WITHOUT INSURANCE NOT LIKE COUNTY HOSPITALS IF U AINT GOT INSURANCE U WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AT THIS FACILITY

        • anotherdummy says

          April 15, 2015 at 8:28 am

          This is not true. No hospital can turn away any patient from emergency based on insurance or ability to pay (EMTALA).

          Hospitals may stabilize a patient then have them transferred to another facility, but this is far from turning them away. This ensures continuity of care.

  3. Ernie says

    April 14, 2015 at 10:44 am

    The only thing LA County wants from us in the AV is tax money.

  4. Jenny says

    April 14, 2015 at 9:58 am

    Another heart breaking example of how LA County neglects its northern region. Whether intentional or not, this is disturbing. I truly hope AVH’s actions produce results- preferably without the necessity of a lawsuit.

  5. Derpaphon says

    April 14, 2015 at 9:08 am

    Yet another reason for the Antelope Valley to secede from Los Angeles County. L.A. doesn’t care what happens to some towns on the other side of a mountain. We’d be better off managing our own issues with our own money, instead of sending it down below to fund projects we’ll never use.

    • Eric says

      April 14, 2015 at 9:48 am

      Agree 100%. Antelope Valley has more than enough population and resources to justify being it’s own county. Annex Rosamond in with the rest of the Valley. Our own government, police force, etc. etc., focused on the residents of this valley instead of being an afterthought of another.

      • Nancy P says

        April 14, 2015 at 11:10 am

        @Eric. If you agree that the Antelope Valley has more than enough population and resources to justify being it’s own county, then why do you suppose they don’t have their own Police Dept?

        • Eric says

          April 14, 2015 at 11:39 am

          Many reasons. That is why the first step in these procedures is generally exploratory committees to see viability.

          LASD has been here a long time, and as such, they have massive infrastructure within the valley. They also have a limited service area, as several cities have instituted their own PD over the past decades. Losing the Antelope Valley as a whole would be a massive reduction in their numbers. It is doubtful that LASD would be willing to just up and walk away. It could easily turn into a nasty legal fight, with LASD attempting to bill for every piece of equipment that they can. It is hard to tell without seeing the specifics of LASD’s contract to service the Antelope Valley.

          An outright exodus from LA County could be catastrophic. It would be best to be done piecemeal. One of the easiest would be localizing our police force. The benefits would be innumerable, the least of all being that our tax dollars would be applied to policing our community, instead of the entire service area of the LASD.

          A major sticking point of what I’m suggesting though is a valley wide force. Not individualized jurisdictions among the cities. Member wagging over whether something belonged to a Lancaster or Palmdale department just leads to more politicking, as well as more limited allocations for areas.

          It is an idea worth exploring, especially in light of our county seat constantly figuring that we are their piggy bank to raid when they feel fit, and not returning what we are owed.

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