Friday, June 22, 2007
On a Serious Note
Allow me a social worker moment. I am absolutely SICK over the possible closure of the King-Harbor Hospital in the Watts area. For those of you who don't live in Southern California, King- Harbor(formerly King-Drew) is a much plagued hospital that seems to have a knack for killing rather than saving its patients' lives. (one of its monikers is "killer king") After the watts riots of 1965 this blighted community received news that it would be home to a top of the line hospital. Hope emerged. And now 40 years later, in all likelihood this hospital will be closed down because they are out of compliance and the State is threatening to yank it's license. I wish I could describe how this makes me feel. Isn't it bad enough that the community has to deal with crime, gangs, blight, and chronic unemployment. Is it really too much to ask that they have a decent hospital? I am angry and sad and wish there was something I could do. I spent 4 years working in that community, and met some of the most inspirational and amazing people. I've been in their homes, I've worked with their children, I've shopped in their markets, and I have loved them. Where will they go now? To some other overcrowded, understaffed hospital where they will sit in the waiting room for hours and hours. We have failed them. Will this place just sit empty and desolate, a constant reminder to them that the world has largely forgotten about them. A few miles from the hospital, there is a street leading into Nickerson Gardens Housing Project called Success. Every time I passed that street I was incredulous that someone would have the audacity to name a street in one of the most crime ridden areas "Success". And we wonder why "they" riot?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Amy, that was really nice. I am sad about the hospital closing.
I've read a bit about it.. my question is how come they can't ever get the problems fixed? Is it purely a $$ issue or something else?
I have the same question. Money isn't the problem because they've poured millions of dollars into "fixing" it but nothing seems to have helped. My only conclusion is poor management that for years went unchecked thus creating a culture of substandard care.
That makes sense.. it just seems so frustrating, yet fixable, if the right people were there in the right circumstances. It seems that all of the sensational bad news comes from that hospital. (Skid row dumping, etc.) From what I understand though, the last thing the Southland needs is another closed hospital, especially in a high needs area.
Post a Comment