HOSPITAL'S ER CLOSED NORTHRIDGE COULDN'T STAFF DEPARTMENT.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

VAN NUYS - Northridge Hospital Medical Center closed the emergency room at its Sherman Way campus Monday morning, after the 209-bed acute-care facility could not sign up enough surgeons to staff the department.

The Van Nuys-based facility is already losing $1 million a month, with its owner Catholic Healthcare West poised to close the hospital by year's end. Administrators said they did not plan to shut the emergency room before December, but a shortage of specialists pushed the date forward.

``The emergency surgery arena has always been problematic for us,'' said Tracey Veal, vice president of Northridge Hospital's Sherman Way campus. ``And we had to inform health care regulators that we were out of alignment.''

Hospital administrators determined late Friday night that the emergency room - treating about 29,000 patients a year and about 100 a day - was not sufficiently staffed. The department consists of approximately 15 full-time doctors and about a dozen on-call specialists who oversee a wide range of surgeries.

With the entire hospital facing closure, Veal said it is increasingly difficult to schedule specialists. And with malpractice claims on the rise, ``What would compel a specialist to want to cover a shift here, at this time?'' she asked.

On Monday morning, paramedics were diverted to other hospitals throughout the Valley. The emergency room sign on Sherman Way was boarded up and staff members began to mourn the initial stages of their hospital's demise.

``This is just so troubling for all of us. We have families to support. And many of us have been here for more than 25 years. And the patients, what will happen to them?'' said Everina Moya, 50, who has cleaned the hospital's laundry for nearly three decades.

Moya's colleague, Margarito Reyes, began working at the hospital more than two decades ago in a similar capacity. He put himself through school and is now a nurse's assistant in the emergency room.

``We'll have to look elsewhere for work, I guess. I have bills to pay, you know. So hopefully it won't be long before I find a new job,'' he said.

Slightly more than a mile away, Valley Presbyterian experienced a 10 percent increase in emergency room patients by Monday afternoon. The 290-bed hospital plans to absorb even more patients when the Sherman Way facility fully closes.

But Valley Presbyterian has not been immune to rising health care costs. The hospital has lost several million dollars in recent years despite a newly constructed 127,250-square-foot acute care facility. Most hospitals in Los Angeles County are experiencing a similar scenario.

``There is going to be a domino effect here. Emergency rooms throughout the county are already taxed to the limit,'' said Dr. Marc Kerner, the outgoing chief of surgery at Northridge Hospital's Roscoe campus. ``The system cannot withstand another shock.''

Six hospital emergency rooms in Los Angeles County have closed in the last 14 months. Statewide, the number of acute-care hospitals has dropped from 525 in 1993 to 413 last year. Nearly a decade ago, Los Angeles County had 23 trauma centers, almost double what county has today.

``The entire health care system in Los Angeles is stressed. We need to address the health care crisis, the issue of the uninsured, the increased cost of health insurance premiums. Just about everyone in California is worried about health care and health insurance. If they don't have it, they're worried about getting it. If they've got it, they're worried about losing it,'' said Keith Richman, a doctor and state assemblyman from Granada Hills.

To stop the hemorrhaging at Northridge Hospital's Sherman Way campus, several doctors have banded together in an attempt to purchase the facility. Dr. Leonard Feigenbaum, director of radiology at the hospital, said he and his colleagues are prepared to raise $10 million to keep the facility in business.

``To close and destroy a perfectly functional hospital so that the property could be bought by a real estate development company is a great tragedy,'' said Feigenbaum, who has worked at the hospital for several decades.

Dan Selleck, a real estate developer who also sits on the board of Valley Presbyterian, has emerged as a potential bidder for the seven-acre Sherman Way campus.

A public hearing will be held Oct. 12 at Van Nuys High School to discuss the hospital's fate.

Staff Writer Brent Hopkins contributed to this report.

Evan Pondel, [phone]

evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com

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