On September 25, 2025, HASC convened leading health care stakeholders, policy makers, community members and hospital executives at the Arizona State University California Center Broadway in downtown Los Angeles for its State of the Hospitals: Los Angeles County forum. Attendees heard in-depth perspectives, data and strategies addressing the most urgent challenges facing hospitals in Los Angeles County and beyond.
Los Angeles County is home to nearly 90 hospitals that together form one of the largest employers in the county. The county’s hospitals generate over 230,000 jobs and provide nearly $80 billion in economic impact, supporting local businesses and fueling innovation that extends far beyond health care. But hospitals have been grappling with financial pressures from declining reimbursement rates, workforce shortages, growing behavioral health needs and the rising costs of providing care. All of these issues have been compounded by the recently enacted “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1), noted Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
In spite of the challenges, Barger said, “What stands out most is the resilience of our hospitals’ ecosystem,” including collaboration among hospitals, county agencies and health plans to improve behavioral health integration and respond to crises such as COVID-19. “That resilience has always been inspiring to me.” Yet, she acknowledged, “Resilience alone cannot make up for the chronic underfunding. Hospitals cannot do this work if the financial rug is pulled out from under them.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure the county continues to remain a partner with you, not an obstacle,” Barger said. She noted the county is currently working with hospital leaders to assess potential losses from H.R.1 and explore strategies to stabilize their finances, including funding mechanisms, advocating for supplemental payments and finding ways to shore up safety net providers.
Other speakers also underscored how legislative changes, including H.R. 1, compound these pressures and shape the future of access to care. California Hospital Association President & CEO Carmela Coyle outlined the state and federal policy landscape. HASC President & CEO George Greene, Esq., spotlighted hospital initiatives, while Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation’s Shannon Sedgwick detailed hospitals’ economic contributions to the county. The program concluded with a panel on the behavioral health crisis and its growing impact on hospital operations.