South L.A. Can’t Afford to Lose MLK Community Hospital

By Citizens’ Coalition for Change

South Los Angeles stands at a dangerous crossroads. Our greater community’s only full-service hospital, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH), is in financial crisis.

This isn’t just about numbers on a balance sheet—it’s about whether hundreds of thousands of residents will continue to have access to lifesaving care.

For years, MLKCH has been safety net of our greater community. It serves an underprivileged community where countless families face deep health inequities, high rates of chronic illness, and limited transportation to distant medical facilities. Yet despite its critical role, MLKCH is being forced to operate under a flawed and outdated funding model—one that does not account for rising costs, record-high inflation, or the overwhelming surge in patients, especially in the years after the pandemic.

When the hospital was built, planners expected about 25,000 emergency visits per year. Instead, MLKCH now sees over 100,000 ER visits annually—quadruple the projections. This has pushed staff and resources to the brink, forced reliance on expensive temporary nurses, and strained every department from ER to maternity care.

The maternity ward, in particular, is a point of pride—and a point of pain. It offers compassionate, midwife-led care in a region where maternity units have been shutting down at an alarming rate. But MLKCH loses roughly $2 million per year keeping it open. Without intervention, South L.A. could become yet another maternal care desert, putting mothers and newborns at unnecessary risk.

South L.A. can’t afford to lose MLK Community Hospital. The crisis is here. The time to act is now!!!

Yes, in mid-2024 the state and county stepped in with emergency relief—$25 million from Sacramento and $20 million from L.A. County. But these are short-term bandages on a wound that requires surgery. Without a permanent funding solution, these lifelines will run dry, and the consequences will be devastating.

We, the Citizens’ Coalition for Change, believe that allowing MLKCH to falter is not an option. This is more than a hospital—it is a symbol of equity, dignity, and the belief that all communities deserve quality healthcare, regardless of income or ZIP code.

Here’s what the Citizens’ Coalition for Change demands:

1. Permanent State and County Funding Commitment – Not one-time bailouts, but ongoing support tied to inflation and patient demand.

   
   

2. Federal Safety-Net Recognition – Secure federal designation and grants for hospitals serving underinsured, high-need populations.

   
   

3. Transparency and Accountability – Ensure all funds are used to expand services, retain skilled staff, and improve patient care access.

   
   

4. Community Mobilization – Every resident, faith group, and neighborhood council must join this fight—because if we lose MLKCH, we lose more than just beds and buildings.

   
   

The choice is ours. We can allow South L.A. to become yet another casualty of a broken healthcare system, or we can rise together and say not on our watch.

The crisis is here. The time to act is now.

If you want to take action to prevent South L.A. from becoming another casualty of a broken healthcare system, please contact the individuals listed on the flyer below. This struggle needs all the help we can give.