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We nearly lost our Art Museum to Newport Beach. We nearly lost the Festival of Arts to San Clemente. Both of these
institutions were saved by last minute action by Laguna citizens.
Now we face another crisis--one that could cost us lives. There is a proposal to close our
hospital, South Coast Medical Center. SCMC, Laguna's largest employer, is a 4-star top-rated hospital, one of four in Orange County.
This is a crisis facing Laguna Beach. It has life-threatening impact to our citizens. It has a
huge fiscal impact to the city budget. And it has a huge impact on the quality of life of all who live in Laguna.
Council member Egly and I have worked hard to keep SCMC in Laguna Beach. We are meeting with the management of
the hospital, and we are working with specialized hospital consultants hired by the city to keep the hospital in Laguna Beach. Thusfar
we have been successful, but we need to continue negotiating. The team currently in place--Egly and Kinsman--has experience
with the management of the hospital that will take others at least a year to achieve.
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South Coast Medical Center
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