There were 13 full-service public health clinics in L.A. County. Now there are 6

"Because of budget cuts, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has ended clinical services at seven of its public health clinic sites. As of Feb. 27, the county is no longer providing services such as vaccinations, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, or tuberculosis diagnosis and specialty TB care at the affected locations, according to county officials and a department fact sheet."

"That pushed us to make the very difficult decision to end clinical services at seven of our sites," said Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief deputy director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Mahajan said the department selected clinics with relatively lower patient volumes. Over the last month, he said, the department has sent letters to patients about the changes, and referred them to unaffected county clinics, nearby federally qualified health centers or other community providers."

"Public health clinics form part of the county's healthcare safety net, serving low-income residents and those with limited access to care. The sites losing clinical services are Antelope Valley in Lancaster; the Center for Community Health (Leavy) in San Pedro, Curtis R. Tucker in Inglewood, Hollywood-Wilshire, Pomona, Dr. Ruth Temple in South Los Angeles, and Torrance."

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health eliminated clinical services at seven public health clinic locations as of February 27 due to approximately $50 million in funding losses. The affected sites are located in Antelope Valley, San Pedro, Inglewood, Hollywood-Wilshire, Pomona, South Los Angeles, and Torrance. Services discontinued include vaccinations, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and tuberculosis diagnosis and specialty care. The closures disproportionately impact uninsured and low-income residents who depend on county clinics as part of the healthcare safety net. The department selected clinics with lower patient volumes and has referred affected patients to remaining county clinics, federally qualified health centers, and community providers. Public health nurses will continue visiting tuberculosis patients requiring directly observed therapy.

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