Jonathan LoPresti went to USC as an undergrad in 1974. And liked it. So much so that he stayed on for a PhD in physiology, and then stuck with the Trojan family for medical school. For his residency, take a wild guess. Yes, USC, and he’s still doctoring at L.A. County-USC Medical Center.
LoPresti, who’s had M.D. after his name for 36 years, is a true believer in the mission at one of the oldest and largest public hospitals in the nation. Going back to the late 1800s, Southern Californians by the thousands have entered the world there, been cured there and died there. In the lobby is a 1897 photo of a horse-drawn ambulance pulling up to an earlier version of the hospital.
“It exists to serve all the residents of Los Angeles County, irrespective of the ability to pay, including patients who lack access to routine medical care,” LoPresti wrote in a tribute he sent to me recently.
But he wrote to express his fear as well as his pride. The Congressional Budget Office estimated 14 million people would lose health insurance next year under the GOP plan to repeal Obamacare, and an additional 10 million would get hit by 2026. As LoPresti watches the scrum play out, he worries about the impact on his hospital and its patients.
To read more of Steve Lopez' article, please click here.
To read the article in Spanish, please click here, http://www.hoylosangeles.com/l...-20170319-story.html
Comments (0)