Laguna Beach residents and city leaders are raising concerns about plans by Providence Mission Hospital to stop operating a full-service acute care hospital in the city by 2030, arguing the community’s only emergency room is critical for public safety.
Residents say losing the emergency department could have serious consequences for people experiencing medical emergencies, particularly in a coastal city that frequently responds to ocean rescues and other emergencies.
“I went through nursing school learning in the emergency room and taking care of patients. And urgent care just isn’t going to fulfill the needs of an emergency room. And to suggest that it could is absurd,” Laguna Beach resident Carissa Dale said…