Proposition 61 is a reasonable response to an important need. It
will generate $750 million to improve and expand children’s
hospitals, particularly those connected with University of
California campuses.
The funding will go to capital improvement projects at acute
care hospitals that take care of children with diseases ranging
from leukemia and heart defects to sickle cell anemia and cystic
fibrosis.
Any hospital with at least 160 authorized children’s beds
would be eligible to apply for the funding. Hospitals at five UC
campuses are specifically designated as potential recipients of the
money.
In Los Angeles, this would include Mattel Children’s
Hospital at UCLA and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, as well as
other facilities in Long Beach and Orange County.
Considering how strained California’s health care system
is, any additional funding would be a big help.
The $750 million bond ““ to be paid over 30 years ““
is a relatively trivial amount for the state, especially weighed
against the possible benefits to children.
Caring for children is a special task, and it requires
specialized ““ and expensive ““ resources.
Proposition 61 is a small step forward. It will give several
hospitals a badly needed infusion of money for expansion and
acquiring new equipment.