Kaiser Permanente grants MLK Hospital expansion

Kaiser Permanente announced a commitment of up to $32 million to expand the emergency department at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook, California. The funding includes a $25 million charitable grant and the purchase and loan of a $7 million modular building to provide temporary emergency care space during construction. The hospital, which opened in 2015, was designed for about 25,000 emergency visits annually but now handles about 125,000 visits per year, leading to patients being treated in tents. The hospital serves a predominantly low-income population, with about 80% of patients covered by United States — Medi-Cal. The announcement comes amid financial pressures on the hospital, including anticipated losses of $80-100 million annually due to Medicaid changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Additionally, the United States — Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted to review the distribution of 2012 Los Angeles Measure B funds, which could affect the hospital's funding.