Two shtutered Los Angeles area hospitals are slated to temporarily reopen as part of the State of California's response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Verity Health System, the owner of St. Vincent Medical Center in Westlake, announced last week that the State has signed a temporary lease for the hospital campus at 3rd and Alvarado Streets to cope with pandemic.
“We are pleased to be able to partner with the State of California to address this pressing public health need. We continue to be committed to supporting our staff, our patients and the communities we serve through this challenging time,” said Rich Adcock, CEO of Verity in a news release.
The hospital campus closed earlier this year following the bankruptcy of Verity Health System, which was unable to find a buyer for the property.
Both the City and County of Los Angeles have considered proposals to purchase the 10.5-acre property to function as either an outpatient healthcare facility or as a shelter for the community's homeless population.
The Long Beach Post reports that the State has also ordered the temporary reopening of Long Beach Community Hospital.
The facility has been closed since 2018, when it was found to be located atop an active seismic fault line.
Long Beach officials are planning to permanently reopen Community Hospital later this year, according to the Post.
