LA County-USC Hospital Overcrowding Worsens

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Overcrowding is getting much worse at beleaguered Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center's emergency room.

The Board of Supervisors were told Tuesday the emergency room was overcrowded 98 percent of the time in August. A report last month said it was overcrowded about 80 percent of the time.

Waiting times have also climbed.

The board was told adults arriving in the emergency room wait an average 12 1/2 hours from the time they are triaged until they are admitted or discharged. The wait time was 11 hours, 11 minutes in July.

The Los Angeles Times reports Department of Health Services chief network officer Carol Meyer says patient demand has increased because the hospital moved to an earthquake-safe building two years ago and gave up 27 percent of its beds.

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