Hospitals: closures.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals, by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law authorizes a general acute care hospital, as defined, to offer special services, including, but not limited to, emergency medical services. Existing law requires a hospital that provides emergency medical services to provide notice of the planned reduction or elimination of those services to certain entities and the public, as specified. This bill would authorize Saddleback Memorial Medical Center to operate an emergency department at its San Clemente campus, subject to specified requirements. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the communities of San Clemente, Dana Point, and San Juan Capistrano. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.