SOUTH A.V. AREAS WANT URGENT CARE; LACK OF HOSPITAL TROUBLES RESIDENTS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

Residents of Palmdale and surrounding communities say they need primary and urgent care services with extended hours, especially for low-income residents, according to an Antelope Valley Hospital study.

Medical services are ``insufficient'' for residents of Lake Los Angeles, Pearblossom, Littlerock and Acton because of limited public transportation, and most residents feel that their areas are growing and could support more locally based health care resources, a report on the study concluded.

``The common thread is they want urgent care, and they want it in the evenings and weekends, and they would like to have primary care closer to them without having to travel 30 minutes,'' said Shirley Sayles, a member of the Antelope Valley Hospital district board. ``They want access to regular routine care and to urgent care when they need it.''

The findings were part of a study commissioned by Antelope Valley Hospital to determine the health-care needs of Palmdale and the south Antelope Valley after the closing of Palmdale's only hospital in March 1996.

As part of a $45,000 study, consultants met with community leaders and residents from Palmdale and the unincorporated areas of Acton, Lake Los Angeles, Littlerock and Pearblossom.

A final report is expected in the next several weeks that will list recommendations on what Antelope Valley Hospital should do to expand medical services.

``The next thing we as a board will do is develop an action plan. Whatever we decide to do will not happen overnight. It will happen in steps,'' Sayles said.

Since Desert Palms Community Hospital closed, Palmdale residents now have to travel to Lancaster Community Hospital, run by the same company as Desert Palms; Antelope Valley Hospital, a publicly owned facility directed by an elected board; or High Desert Hospital, a Los Angeles County facility that does not have an emergency room.

Antelope Valley Hospital is offering outpatient services to the area, including a prenatal clinic, women's health and child nutrition programs, through a primary care clinic being operated jointly with Los Angeles County.

Recently, a group of Palmdale residents has begun lobbying Antelope Valley Hospital to build a second hospital in Palmdale.

Residents in the study identified emergency response and some primary care services that are available in their communities but said, outside of Palmdale, there are no primary care services available on a daily basis, the report said.

Care-a-Vans, mobile medical units run by the Visiting Nurses Association and county-run High Desert Hospital, are regular sources of primary and preventive care, especially for children in the south Antelope Valley, the report said.

The report stated that although most Palmdale residents would like a hospital in their city, their top priority was for urgent and primary care services with extended hours and for supporting diagnostic services and a pharmacy, the report said.

In outlying communities, access to regular primary care services in the local area was a top priority.

Acton residents said their community has no physician; one recently relocated to Palmdale because of insufficient business. They also said there is no pharmacy in town.

Pearblossom residents complained of long waits for paramedics if they are already on a call for another incident.

Other residents said they wanted emergency services because they said the waiting time at Antelope Valley Hospital's emergency room is lengthy, the report said.

Even if more health services were made available, there are barriers to access for some residents, the report said.

``Transportation, finances, hours of operation, and education about services were barriers typically identified,'' the report said. ``Public transportation services in the area are extremely limited. Many local residents are covered by Medi-Cal or have no insurance. Additionally, many residents commute into the Los Angeles basin for work. They leave early and return to the Antelope Valley late in the evening, so extended hours are imperative.''

Other impediments mentioned by residents included few Medi-Cal providers, and physicians who want to be located close to hospitals in Lancaster. ``There is no incentive for physicians to move to Palmdale,'' the report said.

Palmdale community leaders said that 20 percent of the residents receive no care or have inadequate finances or both, the report said. They stressed the need for public health clinics for the uninsured and underinsured, the report said.