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Some health care facilities remain closed amid California wildfires

Written by on January 13, 2025

Some health care facilities remain closed amid California wildfires
Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

(LOS ANGELES) — Health care centers and medical facilities remain closed as the devastating California wildfires spread.

At least 24 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as of Monday morning. Additionally, 105,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 87,000 are under evacuation warnings.

Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest health care systems in California, said most of its facilities remain open and operational but seven remain closed, including facilities in the cities and neighborhoods of Pasadena, Rosemead, Santa Monica, Canyon County and Sylmar.

Keck Medicine of USC shared an update to its website stating that all affiliated hospitals remain open but at least nine clinics remain closed, including those in Arcadia, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge and Los Angeles.

Providence health care system, which serves five Western states including California, also announced that some of its outpatient services, such as doctors’ offices, were closed but that its hospitals remain open.

Adventist Health Glendale said in a statement on its website that its hospital and emergency department is operating as usual and patients are not being evacuated. However, some patients with elective procedures are being rescheduled to a later date and all non-essential visitation has been postponed.

“Some patients with elective procedures may be rescheduled for a later date – These patients will be contacted directly by their provider,” the statement said.

As of Sunday afternoon, UCLA Health said clinic operations were “impacted” in the neighborhoods of Calabasas, Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena. However, it’s unclear from the UCLA statement how many clinics are closed.

“Affected patients will be contacted with additional information. Patients with questions or seeking to reschedule appointments are encouraged to contact their physician’s office or clinic,” UCLA Health stated on its website. “UCLA Health asks that visits to our medical center emergency departments be reserved for urgent and life-threatening medical conditions.”

Some health care centers are working to reopen after being temporarily closed. Cedars-Sinai shared in an update on its website Monday that it was planning to resume non-urgent and non-emergency procedures, some of which it had postponed because of the fires.

“Our Medical Network has reopened most outpatient offices and surgery centers that had been temporarily closed, including locations in Brentwood/West Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Pasadena and Santa Monica. We continue to do everything possible to minimize any disruptions to care,” Cedars-Sinai’s update stated.

Additionally, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, which has locations in four states including California, said its main campus in Duarte and all of its outpatient clinics are open as staff work to accommodate patients “whose care was impacted over the last few days.”

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