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Resident tells Laguna Niguel council petition of more than 5,000 seeks to keep Laguna Beach Hospital ER open
Summary
At the July 21 meeting, Christine Park, a Laguna Niguel resident and retired physician, told the council a petition opposing Providence's plan to close the Laguna Beach Hospital emergency department has collected more than 5,000 signatures and said an 18-member citizen task force is exploring options to keep the hospital and ER operating.
Christine Park, a Laguna Niguel resident and retired physician, told the City Council on July 21 that more than 5,000 people have signed a petition opposing Providence's plan to close the Laguna Beach Hospital emergency department.
"Our community strongly supports the hospital to stay open, as our petition has now garnered over 5,000 signatures," Park said during the public comment period, urging Laguna Niguel and neighboring coastal cities to coordinate with the county to keep the ER operating. She described Laguna Beach Hospital as a Level 2 trauma center and warned that remaining emergency departments would struggle to absorb the overflow patient volume, particularly during predictable surges such as flu season.
Park said the Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Committee (EDPC) submitted a formal recommendation opposing the Providence plan and that a citizen task force of 18 professionals, including medical, real estate and planning experts, is working with area councils to explore options for maintaining the ER and hospital service. She left each council member a copy of the EDPC recommendation letter and asked the city to collaborate with neighboring cities and the board of supervisors.
Under the Brown Act the council did not respond to Park during the public comment period; staff will follow up with speakers as needed, the chair noted when closing public comments.
