Hahn Secures $3 Million to Keep Catalina Island Hospital Open

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn April 8 secured $3 million of available Measure B funding to prevent the imminent closure of Catalina Island Health — the only hospital on Catalina Island. Although the hospital is vitally important as the only source of emergency medical care on the island for Catalina’s residents, workers, and over one million annual visitors, it faces serious financial challenges with insolvency predicted as early as July of this year. 

“If Catalina Island Health were to close, it would not only be disastrous to the health and well-being of Avalon residents and visitors, but it would also have a dangerous ripple effect across our county’s emergency medical response system,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “This Measure B funding, approved by taxpayers to preserve trauma centers and emergency rooms, will keep Catalina Island Health’s doors open to patients while we work on a long-term solution to keep this hospital operating and saving lives long into the future.”

Catalina Island Health’s emergency room currently treats an average of 770 trauma patients each year with just 50 trauma patients requiring aerial transport to the mainland. The hospital’s closure would force more helicopter evacuations of trauma patients and cost the county an estimated $14 million each year. There would also be massive delays in treatment and could risk additional injury, harm, and even death to patients.

In addition to being the only emergency room for the island, Catalina Island Health is also the only source for primary, long-term care, and mental health services for the island’s residents, the majority of whom are low-income. It is also the island’s only pharmacy.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0, with Supervisor Holly Mitchell absent, to approve Supervisor Hahn’s motion to allocate $3 million in one-time Measure B funding to Catalina Island Health. Measure B is a special tax that voters approved in 2002 for the sole purpose of funding the countywide system of trauma centers, emergency medical services, and bioterrorism response.

The motion also incorporated an amendment by Supervisor Kathryn Barger directing the LA County Department of Health Services or DHS to engage with the administration of Catalina Island Health and report back in writing within 90 days with an analysis of the hospital’s emergency room operations with a detailed breakdown of expenditures, staffing, services and equipment.