Kaiser Permanente commits $25 million to Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital

OAKLAND, Calif. - Recognizing the urgent need to strengthen access to emergency care and sustain a high quality of care in one of Los Angeles County's highest-need communities, Kaiser Permanente has committed up to $32 million to support the expansion of the Hope Emergency Center at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital.

South Los Angeles' MLK Community Hospital is a 131-bed general acute care facility that opened as a private, nonprofit hospital in 2015. Approximately 80% of patients are covered by Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program), with nearly 95% of emergency department visits involving patients on Medi-Cal, Medicare, or who are uninsured. The emergency department was originally designed with up to 29 treatment bays to accommodate 25,000 patient visits per year. It's currently treating more than 5 times that number with annual visits totaling 125,000 per year, and with patients being triaged and even treated in field tents erected in the parking lot. Despite its financial distress, the hospital maintains 4- and 5-star quality ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Kaiser Permanente's $25 million grant and the loan of the $7 million in modular building capacity will support:

• Permanent expansion of the hospital's emergency department to increase capacity and continue to meet the community's growing demand for health care services.
• A temporary modular emergency care facility to maintain uninterrupted patient access during construction.
• Long-term improvements to strengthen emergency care for residents of South Los Angeles and surrounding communities.

The investment reflects Kaiser Permanente's mission as a nonprofit care organization to deliver high-quality, affordable care and improve the health of the communities it serves. It also recognizes the need for strong local health care institutions.

"This is about more than expanding an emergency department. It's about strengthening the health care infrastructure that Los Angeles families depend on today and will continue to rely on for generations to come," said Greg A. Adams, chair and chief executive officer for Kaiser Permanente. "Our mission is not only to care for our members - it's to improve the health of the communities we serve. By investing in trusted community institutions like Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, Kaiser Permanente is helping build a stronger, more resilient health care system that helps people get the high-quality care they need."

The South Los Angeles neighborhoods surrounding MLK Community Hospital experience some of the greatest health challenges in the county. Many rank among the lowest on California's Healthy Places Index, reflecting longstanding disparities in access to health care, economic opportunity, housing, transportation, and other social drivers of health. Residents experience disproportionately high rates of chronic disease and preventable hospitalizations, while continuing to face barriers to obtaining health care when they need it.

"We are profoundly grateful to Kaiser Permanente for its extraordinary generosity," said Dr. Elaine Batchlor, chief executive officer, MLK Community Healthcare. "This gift - the largest in MLK's history - strengthens our ability to offer care in the safe, dignified setting our community deserves. As our partner and champion, Kaiser Permanente is expanding its history of commitment to the South LA community with support that is as timely as it is impactful."

Kaiser Permanente's most recent Community Health Needs Assessment identified access to care as one of the most significant unmet health needs across Southern California. Residents consistently highlighted the need for greater access to primary, specialty, and emergency care.

"Kaiser Permanente has a long history of collaborating with our medical safety net partners to improve quality care, expand access, and reduce health disparities across our communities," said John Yamamoto, vice president of Community Health and Government Relations for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. "We recognize the vital role Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital plays in advancing health equity and addressing the needs of South Los Angeles. Our 2 organizations have a long and shared commitment to the people of South Los Angeles, and we are pleased to help expand vital emergency care services to the community."

Across California, safety-net providers are caring for growing numbers of patients while facing financial, workforce, and operational pressures. In the face of these access issues, demand for emergency services also continues to grow, making it increasingly important to strengthen the hospitals and community providers that care for the state's most vulnerable residents.

This grant is part of Kaiser Permanente's broader commitment to improving health by investing beyond the walls of its own hospitals and medical offices. Through partnerships with community hospitals, federally qualified health centers, public agencies, schools, and community-based organizations, Kaiser Permanente works to strengthen the systems that improve health, advance equity, and expand access to care.