San Pedro, CA – Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn is celebrating a vote by the LA Care Board of Governors to award a $2 million grant to Catalina Island Health. The grant funding will allow the Avalon hospital to remain open through December.
“This small hospital not only provides essential healthcare for island residents, it is the only source of emergency care on the island for millions of tourists,” said Supervisor Hahn, who represents Catalina Island on the Board of Supervisors. “It would be catastrophic if this hospital were to close. I want to thank LA Care CEO John Baackes for his leadership in this effort and I applaud the LA Care Board of Governors, especially my colleague Supervisor Hilda Solis, for coming to Catalina Island Health’s aid and making sure their doors remain open for patients. I am committed to working on a long-term solution to keep this hospital operating in the future.”
Catalina Island Health has faced serious financial challenges with the CEO predicting insolvency as soon as June of this year. The grant awarded today allows the hospital to avert imminent closure. The hospital is the sole provider of emergency, primary, and lifesaving care for residents and visitors to Catalina Island.