DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Dear Patients and Friends,
At LA Health Services, trust is at the heart of everything we do. We strive to earn and keep trust by providing the best and most compassionate healthcare to each and every one of our patients. As we look back at 2024, we highlight the accomplishments, innovations and e�orts that help us provide individualized healthcare to our diverse community. Whether saving lives, restoring hope, or providing timely care, we are incredibly proud of how our sta�’s dedication, ingenuity and compassion have allowed us to become a better health system and show you that your trust in us is well-placed.
We’ve improved and expanded our services using new technologies, making healthcare more accessible and creating environments where every individual feels valued, respected, and supported. Our high-quality standards for care can be experienced at every one of our hospitals, clinics, health centers, mobile units, and specialized services.
We appreciate the support and partnership of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Their leadership and commitment to prioritizing public healthcare services have been instrumental in our ability to thrive, grow and improve to meet the evolving needs of our LA County community.
As we look ahead, we remain focused on continuing to build a healthier future for all. Thank you for placing your trust in us and for joining our shared mission of advancing healthcare excellence. Together we will continue to innovate, excel, and uplift the communities we serv
Christina R. Ghaly, M.D. Director
Timely Care
Quality care means delivering care now, reducing the delays and meeting patient needs when they need it the most. Timely care improves patient outcomes, reduces risks, and saves costs.
At LA Health Services, we are constantly creating solutions to make getting the care you need as convenient and easy as possible.
Rapid Patient Access
Technology has made patient access to care easier than ever. Almost 50% of our patients are now enrolled in the LA Health Portal. The LA Health Portal is a website and mobile app that gives patients access to their upcoming appointments, lab results, their care team, and more.
Cancer Navigation Program
In the �ght against cancer, timeliness is everything. Our personalized support to patients, caregivers and family members quickly helps resolve barriers that may keep patients from accessing the care they need.
Patients diagnosed with breast, cervical, uterine, ovarian, colorectal and genitourinary cancers are now averaging only 7 days between their diagnosis and their �rst clinic follow-up visit. The initiation of treatment is also happening sooner, with the average time being at around 6 weeks after diagnosis.
Expedited Specialty Care
Access to timely specialty care is critical for patients with complex medical and social needs. This year we achieved industry-leading performance on timely access to specialty care for nearly
Redesigning referral and scheduling pathways to streamline care.
Innovative care models, including telehealth, eConsults, and data-driven tools. collaboration between primary care and specialists.
Our success has set a model for specialty care transformation across California’s safety net systems.
Fast-Tracking Surgery Scheduling
Scheduling surgeries as soon as possible and within the recommended time frames helps identify potential risks early on, allowing for necessary interventions and minimizing complications during surgery.
Over the last 8 months at least 90% of surgical cases were scheduled within the recommended time frame.
Filling Prescriptions – Made Easy
Our patients can now use their mobile phones or our on-site kiosks to check-in when filling a prescription.
Lab Results in Minutes
Patients can select a convenient appointment time, check in upon arrival, and receive their lab results in just 2-3 minutes
Our Care by the Numbers
Nurse Advice Line
13,487 Calls Answered
We are just a call away. Our Call Center and Nurse Advice line are ready to provide answers, help and solutions to some of your most common questions and concerns.
1,516,258 Calls Handled Patient Access Call Center
Delivering Wellness
Prevention, better care and wellness. Our teams of dedicated medical professionals are raising the bar across our health services. From immunizations, to health screenings, to education services, we are always working to keep our patients as healthy and safe as possible.
Top Quality Standards
This year, LA Health Services exceeded the 90th percentile California state benchmarks for multiple quality measures, including:
Chlamydia Screening
Pediatric
Developmental Screening
Prenatal Immunizations
Medication
Therapy for Heart Failure
By achieving these results, we secured 100% of our performance-based funding ensuring resources to continue delivering high-quality, equitable care for all patients.
Our Care by the Numbers
Patients play an important role in their own wellness. Through regular checkups, individual health visits, and group education health classes, we are making sure our patients have the information, and resources they need to stay on top of their health and wellness.
480,848
Primary Care Doctor Visits
98,389
Primary Care Nurse Visits
Making healthy choices can be challenging. Patients who are already struggling in other areas of their life may need extra support to get their health back on track.
10,119
Patients Participated in Health Education Sessions
Through our Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) services, we provide patients with support for a range of issues, including food insecurity, housing, transportation, substance use disorder and mental health.
68,910
Patients Received BHI Support
Women’s Health Programs & Innovation empowers patients and families by addressing medical, mental health, and substance use needs during and after pregnancy. Our holistic approach ensures individuals receive the care, resources, and support they need to thrive.
Women’s Health Programs and Innovation
Safe Sleep
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is dedicated to ensuring the safety of newborns beyond their hospital stay. Around 30% of families who deliver at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center do not have a plan for safe transport or safe sleep for their baby after discharge. Through our Safe Sleep program, we have been able to provide education about baby safe sleep practices and transport to of families who delivered there. We have also provided car seats and cribs to families who needed them.
Women’s Health
Quick and easy access to abortion services is vital to women’s reproductive health and wellbeing. We now have the Abortion Services Hotline
1 (877) CARE121 to help improve access, reduce wait times, and connect patients to con�dential and compassionate support services.
Gender Health
Program
Gender Health Program
Our compassionate care includes addressing barriers like limited access to care, systemic discrimination, and gaps in electronic health records. Our Gender Health Program received the 2024 Productivity and Quality Commission Special Award for Community Equity and Inclusion.
From Physical Therapy to Olympic Athletes
At Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, disability rehabilitation goes beyond physical therapy in a medical setting. Our National Rehabilitation Medical Center promotes inclusion, and wellbeing for patients with disabilities through outdoor therapies, sporting events, competitions and family resource fairs. Our patients also have access to one of the nation’s top ten ranked wheelchair basketball programs that has produced Olympic athletes.
Our therapeutic events and programs promote healthy challenges, encourage return to valued activities, develop self-con�dence, and provide the needed resources to enhance the quality of life for those living with a disability.
Our approach to rehabilitation includes opportunities to participate in the “Spinal Injury Games,” “Roll Around the Ranch,” and “Pediatric Carnival” activities.
Syphilis Crisis DELIVERING
In response to the nation’s syphilis epidemic, LA Health Services, in partnership with the Department of Public Health, launched a targeted screening program in January 2024 to identify and treat syphilis in women of childbearing age visiting our Emergency Departments.
Our Care by the Numbers
10,000 Over women screened
More than
200 previously undetected cases identi�ed and treated
This program not only improves patient health but also prevents transmission to newborns, protecting them from devastating illness or death.
Saving Lives
When the unthinkable happens, our world-class medical teams are here for you and your loved ones. Our medical teams provide the most immediate and comprehensive care for patients with severe injuries and life-threatening illnesses.
We operate 3 Emergency Rooms, including LA County’s top two Level-1 Trauma Centers, a top level Neo-natal ICU, a Critical Care Burn Unit and various Urgent Care Centers across LA County.
260,905
ER Visits
192,502 Urgent Care Visits
36,295
Restoring Hope
Compassionate care is a proven remedy. Providing our patients with healthy food options can make a big di�erence in their �ght against illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancers. Our programs serve as a lifeline for patients seeking better health and wellbeing.
Our Care by the Numbers
193,241
People Served at Food Distribution Clinics
22,239
People in Permanent Supportive Housing
403,074
Narcan Doses Distributed
Medical Technology & Innovation
At LA Health Services, we make the latest medical advancements and technologies available to all our patients, regardless of the type of medical insurance they have or their ability to pay. We are proud to be at the forefront of the medical innovation and research that provides life-changing results for our patients. Our innovative approach to medicine is improving accuracy of diagnosis, providing faster results, expanding reach and improving quality of life.
Restoring neurological function can be the di�erence between a patient needing someone else to help place a drinking straw up to their lips or the patient being able to reach and grab a cup of water for themselves.
Neurorestoration Center
Our center serves as the headquarters for the innovation and research program that makes the restoration of neurological function possible. We bring the latest technology and medical breakthroughs to our patients, giving them the best opportunity at improving their quality of life. Watch the video to hear directly from the patients whose lives have been touched by our innovative care:
Epilepsy Care
Epilepsy and movement disorders can greatly a�ect a person’s quality of life. We recently launched the “Clinical Neurorestoration Program," which signi�cantly upgraded the capabilities for epilepsy
Robotic-assisted stereotactic procedures are minimally invasive and improve precision.
Dermatology Care Near You
There continues to be a great demand for dermatology consultations. We see close to 100 new requests every month. To help meet this demand and to make dermatology access more equitable, we are using dermoscopy technology, a non-invasive imaging technique.
A trained nurse can capture images of the skin lesions at the patient’s primary care location and then have them assessed by dermoscopy experts.
This reduces the need for travel and minimizes delays in diagnosis. From December 2023 to July 2024, we were able to spare 75 in-person dermatology visits, and shorten wait times by approximately 3-5 months.
We Leverage Technology to Improve Patient Experience
Our innovations help make your care easier, more comfortable and uninterrupted.
Safer@Home
The Safer@Home program at LA General Medical Center o�ers virtual home care for acute care conditions. Safer@Home uses remote device technology, reliable transportation, and expert virtual care to deliver concierge-level, virtual home care, with bring-back visits only as needed.
Avoided 2,505 hospitalization days
Reduced Emergency Room and hospital overcrowding
Resulted in zero fatalities
This year, Safer@Home was recognized as a Top Ten program at the 37th Annual Productivity and Quality Awards. The success of the program also garnered a visit from the Singapore Ministry of Health, who are looking to replicate our model program. See more:
Medical Documentation Jail Transfers
Our Health Information Department established a new system to ensure timely and complete transfer of medical documentation when our patients are transferred to any of the 58 California county jails.
This helps ensure that patients with serious conditions, like cancer and end-stage kidney disease on dialysis, continue to get the care they need.
Language Access
240 languages. Ensuring patients feel comfortable and understood is key to improving access and increasing
Our Language Access in Virtual Healthcare Program has greatly increased access to Qualified Healthcare Interpreter sessions, making it easy for staff to access language services via phone, the interpreter app and video visits.
In 2024, our health system used over 1.2 million interpreter sessions, helping to ensure patient’s needs were met no matter what language they spoke.
Meeting People Where They Are
Healing is a journey. At LA Health Services, we believe we must meet our patients where they are to deliver the compassionate care they need and deserve.
No judgment. Regardless of the current situation or history, we deliver healthcare and hope to those in need.
Medication Therapy in Jails
Through our Correctional Health Services we are doing our part in the �ght against the opiate use crisis. Over the past three years, we have introduced various medication options for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder.
These medications help reduce opioid use as well as lower the risk of infectious diseases and criminal behavior associated with drug use. Through December of 2024 we have given:
Our Care by the Numbers
10,960 Doses of Suboxone
10,975 Doses of Sublocade to 2,315 Individuals
4,500 Doses of Brixadi
We also provide individuals oral medications on discharge if they have not yet started the Long Acting Injectables.
Wellness Stations COMPASSIONATE CARE
“Wellness Stations” can be found in the visiting areas of the LA County Jails in the form of vending machines o�ering naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses and fentanyl test strips that let consumers of recreational drugs test their product before using it. The products are free of charge to the families of the individuals housed in the local jails.
COMPASSIONATE CARE
FIST Program
People with severe mental health illness need appropriate care. The O�ce of Diversion and Reentry helps divert these individuals from the criminal justice system and into long-term communitybased housing and support services. The Felony Incompetent to Stand Trial (FIST) program recently added more acute beds and signi�cantly reduced housing wait times. This is critical as the number of individuals needing these services increased by more than 30 percent.
Harm Reduction COMPASSIONATE CARE
This past year, we opened four new Harm Reduction Drop-In centers, where those struggling with homelessness and substance use can come in, rest, receive access to life-saving supplies and get linked to physical and mental health care and substance use treatment.
COMPASSIONATE CARE
Harm reduction is an evidence-based and non-judgmental approach that helps people who use drugs stay as safe as possible and reduces their risk of disease and death.
The new Drop-In centers are in Pomona, East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles and Lancaster. Simple things like having a place to charge their phones, do laundry, and socialize positively impacts their lives and helps us build the trust needed to encourage key steps on their healing journey.
Visiting Homeless Encampments
Our Housing for Health’s street-based engagement teams visit homeless encampments to encourage people to voluntarily leave homeless camps. We help lead encampment resolution e�orts as part of LA County’s Pathway Home operations to reduce unsheltered homelessness. Teams conduct site visits, provide urgent medical care, referrals for mental health care, and help move hundreds of vulnerable unhoused people from encampments in communities throughout LA County.
Housing the Unhoused
People who are placed in interim housing often fall back into living on the streets. We are trying to end that revolving door through our new Interim Housing Outreach Program. Field-based teams visit interim housing sites to help connect patients with health care, mental health, substance use treatment, intensive case management services, caregiving, and other social services.
COMPASSIONATE CARE
Mental Health in Jails
We are making strides in meeting the complex needs of the incarcerated and mentally ill population.
Our approach allows �exibility to step-up or step-down care, as appropriate. The breadth of available services enable patients to receive timely care intended to improve their health outcomes.
COMPASSIONATE CARE
We provide increased nursing, mental health and custody sta�ng, as well as opportunities to socialize and participate in groups to promote self-care and participation in treatment.
There are currently, 20 pods serving approximately 400 patients
Outstanding Leadership. Award Winning Care.
When it comes to safety and quality we are earning “A” letter grades and standing among the nation’s “Best” Hospitals. Our physicians are recognized leaders in their �eld. Our nursing teams are paving the way for better patient health outcomes. It is no surprise our Medical Centers serve as some of the nation’s premier teaching hospitals, and are at the forefront of training clinicians in our armed forces.
LA General Earns Prestigious “A” Safety Grade
The “A” Grade re�ects unprecedented improvements in mortality rates, reduced hospital-acquired infections, reduced lengths of stay and enhanced diagnostic e�ciency.
AWARD WINNING
2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care
It is now among the high-performing hospitals to provide exceptional care for expectant parents.
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center has been designated one of the 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report.
We have signi�cantly lower C-section, episiotomy rates, and severe unexpected newborn complications than other hospitals.
As maternal mortality rates rise and maternity wards close, with more than 200 maternal fatalities between 2019 and 2021 in California and 17 maternity wards closing in LA County alone, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center stands out as a critical lifeline for the County’s most vulnerable families.
Doctor de Virgilio to Surgeons Academy
Congratulations to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s Department of Surgery Chair, Dr. Christian De Virgilio. He was named to the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.
This is an honorary distinction that recognizes distinguished surgeons who are considered leaders in their �eld and have devoted their careers to surgical education.
Harbor Doctor on National Board of Internal Medicine
Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Gianoukakis, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s Chief of the Endocrinology Division, who was elected to the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism section.
These boards set the standards, policies, and guidelines that govern best practices and care to patients. This major achievement brings national prominence to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and is a testament to our commitment of delivering excellent care to our patients.
AWARD WINNING
Military Training Program
As a system with multiple training hospitals, we o�er educational programs; recently Harbor-UCLA Medical Center signed an agreement establishing a 6-month training rotation for US Marine Corps and US Navy clinicians. This agreement establishes a training rotation for military clinicians to enhance their emergency medicine and trauma skills and experience.
This partnership will facilitate the sharing of knowledge between the military and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center’s clinical team and support the training and preparedness of military clinicians to provide medical care in a combat zone.
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center was recognized by the American Medical Association awarding it bronze level in the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program. The Joy in Medicine Award recognizes e�orts by a medical organization that aims to help enhance physician well-being by addressing causes of work-related burnout.
Joy in Medicine Award
By addressing burnout and promoting physician wellbeing we are ensuring that healthcare providers are healthier, more engaged, and better able to deliver high-quality, compassionate care to patients. Olive View-UCLA Medical Center is now among a total of 62 health systems nationwide who earned this recognition in 2024.
AWARD WINNING
Courage to Teach Award
Dr. Tajnoos Yazdany, Director, Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, received the 2024 ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award.
The Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award honors program directors who �nd innovative ways to teach residents and to provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse to care for others in this environment.
Bronze Eagle Award
The Paving a Bright Future for Nursing Program at LA General was awarded the Bronze Eagle award at the 37th Annual Productivity and Quality Awards.
This revolutionary program is improving patient care while fostering nurse development and retention. It supports newly graduated Registered Nurses with less than 12 months of acute care experience. Combining classroom learning, specialty training, clinical preceptorship, and mentorship, it equips nurses with the skills to transition con�dently into practice.
In theInNewsThe News
Our high-quality patient care. Our genuine commitment to patients. Our compassion for people. Our innovative work. Our dedicated workforce. They all made headlines in 2024. Check out some of the news stories highlighting the ways in which we touch the lives of those who need our care.
Rancho Los Amigos Driver Rehabilitation Program
A young wheelchair-bound patient learns to drive and gain independence through our Driver Rehabilitation program.
Requiem for the Unclaimed Dead
A meaningful and solemn ceremony to honor and remember those who have passed without being claimed by family or loved ones.
Excellent Care for Critically Ill Patients
IN THE NEWS
Our Medical Centers were highlighted for their success in developing unit-speci�c guidelines for sta�ng critically ill patients, aiming to reduce nurse burnout and improve patient health outcomes.
AI Pilot Program to Predict Homelessness
Instead of an eviction notice, Peterson received a letter from the Homelessness Prevention Unit within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, o�ering a lifeline.
LA General Earns Top Honors for Opioid Management
For the second year running, LA General clinched the "Superior Performance" title in the Opioid Care Honor Roll.
IN THE NEWS
Hospital Foundation Receives Multi-Million Dollar Gift
The Rancho Los Amigos Foundation, the non-pro�t provider for many of Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center’s patient programs receives support for its life-changing impact on the lives of our patients.
Harm Reduction Strategist
Featuring Shoshanna Scholar, who leads our Harm Reduction program to implement practical strategies for reducing the negative e�ects of drug use and addressing it as a health issue rather than a criminal one.
MISSION
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.
VISION
Recognized nationally as a model integrated health system.
VALUES
Welcoming - Inclusive - Compassionate
Excellent - Innovative - Accountable