| Abstract: | The Los Angeles County-University of Southern California (LAC-USC) Medical Center is noted among the country's major metropolitan hospitals. Operated by the county of Los Angeles, this medical center ranks as the largest academic medical institution in the country with 2,045 licensed beds and an average daily census of 1,500. The sheer number of patients strain all available resources. Each year, more than 80,000 persons are admitted to the medical center and nearly 800,000 patients are seen in emergency and outpatient areas alone. While the medical center serves a county-wide and ethnically diverse population, it's also a crucial resource for the local community in East Los Angeles and downtown areas. Thousands of people from this community enter the hospital each day, either to receive treatment or to visit ill family members. |
