[January 28, 2013]

AHF Leads Call for Leadership Reform in L.A. County Public Health Department

The purpose of the County Health Department is to protect the citizens of the 85 out of 88 cities in Los Angeles County it serves. But a lack of professional leadership coupled with under-the-table dealings and favoritism has left the people living in those cities at high risk for medical inefficiencies in the event of a virus outbreak or epidemic.

Responding to this blatant lack of accountability, refusal to adhere to bidding laws, and mismanagement that has led to compromised care systems, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is asking Los Angeles County residents to call their supervisors and demand an investigation into the Public Health Department's procedures. The goal is that being held accountable to their duties will lead to improved service to county residents and treatment of health partners.

"We are fortunate that Los Angeles County hasn't been faced with any threats of an epidemic outbreak recently, because if we were the current actions - and inactions - taking place within the County Public Health Department would leave citizens open to considerable risk and ineffective care options," said AHF President Michael Weinstein. "The dangerous practices of insider dealing and granting contracts without the required bidding process must be curbed for the sake of Los Angeles County residents, and we ourselves must take action to protect ourselves by calling our supervisors."

In addition to routinely granting contracts to health providers without the financial bidding that is required by law, the Public Health Department has also stripped the Sexually Transmitted Disease unit of professional leadership, overturned care systems without preparing those being served, and failed to enforce public health laws like the requirement that condoms be used during the filming of pornography. The Department's inability to enforce existing state and federal laws requiring this practice led AHF to usher the introduction and passage of Measure B, the so-called condoms in porn law. Measure B forces LA County Public Health officials to enforce the standing condom use laws in porn. County voters passed the measure last November with a majority of 57% in favor and 43% opposed.

Additional procedural missteps that leave the public open to danger in the event of a county health scare include misinformation being disseminated to the county's Board of Supervisors from senior staff members at the Public Health Department, as well as a striking lack of accountability for Department Director Dr. Jonathan Fielding's actions. Accountable to no one, the Board of Supervisors often passes Fielding's decisions regarding public health in the county without any questioning or investigation. When an agency protested this clear cronyism, the Board openly threatened to cut off the organization's public funding.

In a branch of state government that is so vital for the safety of Los Angeles County citizens, such a lack of responsibility and failure to adhere to basic policies is unacceptable. AHF is leading the call for Public Health Department reform in Los Angeles County, and is asking all citizens to voice the need for an investigation into the Department's actions and policies by calling their district Supervisors.

Don't know what to say Try:

"I am a citizen of [your city] and I am asking you to protect my county health services. The lack of accountability and unprofessional leadership in the Los Angeles County Public Health Department must be investigated -- I am asking you to protect me and your other constituents by joining us in demanding this investigation."

DISTRICT 1: Supervisor Gloria Molina - (213) 974-4111

• Avocado Heights
• Azusa
• Baldwin Park
• Bandini (unincorporated area)
• Bassett
• Bell Gardens
• Bell
• Belvedere Gardens
• Charter Oak (unincorporated area)
• Citrus (unincorporated area)
• City Terrace
• Commerce
• Cudahy
• East Azusa (unincorporated area)
• East Los Angeles: Belvedere Gardens, City Terrace, Eastmont
• El Monte
• Firestone
• Florence
• Graham
• Hacienda Heights
• Huntington Par
• Industry
• Irwindale
• La Puente
• Los Nietos
• Maywood
• Montebello
• Monterey Park
• North Claremont (unincorporated area)
• Pico Rivera
• Pomona
• Rosemead
• Rowland Heights
• Santa Fe Springs
• South San Gabriel
• South El Monte
• South Gate
• South Whittier
• South San Jose Hills
• Sunshine Acres
• Valinda
• Vernon
• Walnut Park
• Walnut
• West Puente Valley
• West Whittier
• Whittier Narrows Recreation Area

DISTRICT 2: Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas - (213) 974-2222

• Alondra Park
• Athens / West Athens
• Baldwin Hills
• Carson
• Compton
• Culver City
• Del Aire
• East Compton
• El Camino Village
• Firestone
• Florence
• Gardena
• Graham
• Hawthorne
• Inglewood
• Ladera Heights
• Lawndale
• Lennox
• Lynwood
• Marina Del Rey
• Rancho Dominguez
• View Park
• West Athens
• West Carson
• West Rancho Dominguez
• Westmont
• Willowbrook
• Willow Hills
• Wiseburn

DISTRICT 3: Supervisor Zev Yaroslovsky - (213) 974-3333

• Agoura
• Agoura Hills
• Beverly Hills
• Calabasas
• Calabasas (unincorporated area)
• Calabasas Highlands
• Canyon Country
• Cornell
• Fernwood
• Franklin Canyon
• Glenview
• Hidden Hills
• Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon
• Malibu Bowl
• Malibu Highlands
• Malibu Lake
• Malibu Vista
• Malibu
• Malibu/Sycamore Canyon
• Monte Nido
• Mulholland Corridor
• San Fernando
• Santa Monica
• Seminole Hot Springs
• Sunset Mesa
• Sylvia Park
• Topanga (or Topanga Canyon)
• Triunfo Canyon
• Universal City
• Veterans Administration Center
• West Chatsworth
• West Hollywood
• Westlake Village

DISTRICT 4: Supervisor Don Knabe - (213) 974-4444

• Artesia
• Avalon
• Bellflower
• Cerritos
• Diamond Bar
• Downey
• East La Mirada
• East Whittier
• El Segundo
• Hacienda Heights
• Hawaiian Gardens
• Hermosa Beach
• La Habra Heights
• La Mirada
• La Rambla
• Lakewood
• Lomita
• Long Beach
• Long Beach (unincorporated area)
• Los Cerritos Wetlands
• Los Nietos
• Manhattan Beach
• Marina Del Rey
• Northeast Whittier
• Norwalk
• Norwalk/Cerritos (unincorporated area)
• Palos Verdes Estates
• Paramount
• Rancho Palos Verdes
• Redondo Beach
• Rolling Hills Estates
• Rolling Hills
• Rowland Heights
• San Clemente Island
• Santa Catalina Island
• Signal Hill
• South Whittier
• Torrance
• West Carson
• West Whittier
• Westfield
• Whittier

DISTRICT 5: Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich - (213) 974-5555

• Acton
• Agua Dulce
• Alhambra
• Alpine
• Altadena
• Antelope Acres
• Arcadia
• Big Pines
• Bouquet Canyon
• Bradbury
• Burbank
• Castaic
• Castaic Junction
• Citrus (unincorporated area)
• Claremont
• Covina
• Crystalaire
• Deer Lake Highlands
• Del Sur
• Duarte
• East Azusa (unincorporated area)
• East Pasadena
• East San Gabriel
• El Dorado
• Elizabeth Lake
• Fairmont
• Forrest Park
• Glendale
• Glendora
• Glendora (unincorporated area)
• Gorman
• Green Valley
• Hi Vista
• Juniper Hills
• Kagel Canyon
• Kinneola Mesa
• La Canada - Flintridge
• La Crescenta
• La Verne
• Lake Hughes (News - Alert)
• Lake Los Angeles
• Lakeview
• Lancaster
• Lang
• Leona Valley
• Little Rock
• Llano
• Longview
• Mint Canyon
• Monrovia
• Monrovia/Arcadia/Duarte (unincorporated areas)
• Montrose
• Neenach
• Newhall
• North Claremont (unincorporated area)
• Northeast San Dimas (unincorporated area)
• Oat Mountain
• Palmdale
• Pasadena
• Pearblossom
• Placerita Canyon
• Quartz Hill
• Roosevelt
• San Dimas
• Redman
• San Marino
• San Gabriel
• San Pasqual
• Santa Clarita
• Saugus
• Sierra Madre
• Soledad
• South Monrovia (unincorporated area)
• South Pasadena
• South San Gabriel
• Stevenson Ranch
• Sulphur Springs
• Sun Village
• Sunland/Sylmar/Tujunga (adjacent unincorporated areas)
• Sylmar
• Temple City
• Three Points
• Twin (News - Alert) Lakes
• Val Verde
• Valencia
• Valyermo
• Vasquez Rocks
• West Arcadia (unincorporated area)
• West Chatsworth
• West Covina
• West Pomona (unincorporated area)
• White Fence Farms
• Wilsona Gardens
• Wrightwood

If it is unclear which district is the correct one for your location, visit: http://www.laalmanac.com/government/gl01d1map.htm or http://rrcc.lacounty.gov/OnlineDistrictmapApp/

About AHF

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider in the USA. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to nearly 200,000 individuals in 28 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Additional information is available at www.aidshealth.org

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130128006451/en/

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