To the editor: For years, the Los Angeles Instances has repeatedly lined the nationwide in addition to California-wide scarcity of nurses and the 1000’s of certified candidates who could be hard-working, devoted members of the career if solely they may very well be admitted to a nursing college (“California has a extreme nursing scarcity. Contained in the battle to get extra college students in colleges,” Oct. 6). But regardless of a present scarcity of 40,790 nurses, which is predicted to develop to 61,490 in 10 years, our leaders in Sacramento have failed to handle this disaster.
Since 2021, 29 California hospitals have closed their maternity wards, with 17 of these being in L.A, although the state ($27 billion), the county ($1.9 billion) and our metropolis ($1.28 billion) have obtained billions from the American Rescue Plan Act. As greater than 50% of hospital prices are labor-related, the nursing scarcity has a big causal relationship.
Compared to the boondoggles we’ve wasted cash on, it could not take a lot to teach new nurses, which we sorely want. We now have to pay college honest wages, put money into simulation laboratories and provide loans to college students, who as soon as graduated would have upper-middle-income salaries and be paying taxes and investing of their native communities. As a substitute, we get guarantees of a practice to nowhere and a governor seemingly targeted on operating for president in 2028.
Howard C. Mandel, Los Angeles
The author is president emeritus of the Los Angeles Metropolis Well being Fee.
