I started out by asking Copilot
Q: have any hospitals or medical facilities been burned or closed in the los angeles fires
Its answer:
A: yes, the recent wildfires in Los Angeles have caused significant damage to the area, including some medical facilities. One clinic in Pasadena was destroyed by the fires. Additionally, several hospitals and health care facilities have closed their clinics and offices in affected areas due to the wildfires. For example, UCLA Medical Center closed at least 15 of its clinics, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has postponed non-urgent procedures and closed some outpatient offices and surgery centers.
Then I found this, already a couple of days old, but informative:
https://abcnews.go.com/us/hospitals-medical-centers-close-clinics-california-wildfires-spread/story?id=117507900(Do watch the embedded video in it, an unsettling account by an LA doctor as to how overwhelming the situation is).
And from the article:
"Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest health care systems in California, announced it has closed seven of its medical offices and clinics so far due to the fires and high winds. (A spokesperson) : "Currently, most Kaiser Permanente facilities in Southern California are open and operating normally. We will remain vigilant and ready to respond fluidly as conditions change."
"UCLA Medical Center confirmed in an update on its website that at least 15 of its clinics were closed in neighborhoods including Alhambra, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. Additionally, the center said it closed all its clinics in Calabasas."
"Cedars-Sinai Medical Center also shared an update on its website that some outpatient offices and surgery centers in evacuation areas were closed, including in Brentwood/West Los Angeles, Pasadena and Santa Monica ... (and added) ... "Due to the critical situation -- including fires close to our medical center campus that are affecting many staff members -- we are postponing non-urgent/emergent procedures on Thursday and Friday."
"Providence health care system, which serves five western states including California, also announced some of its outpatient services, such as doctors' offices, were closed but that its hospitals remain open."
"Additionally, Adventist Health, which serves the West Coast and Hawaii, said its Urgent Care, Orthopedics and Pediatrics location in Montrose is temporarily closed until further notice ... However, its Glendale hospital remains open and operations. Patients are not being evacuated and there are no widespread surgery cancellations."
"AltaMed Health Services, a community health network that serves southern California, wrote on X that one of its medical centers in Pasadena had been destroyed by the Eaton Fire, but no one was injured. The network has temporarily closed eight clinics due to the fires." And while the number of reported fatalities so far has been relatively small, fortunately, it would seem a safe bet that a large number of people have been and must now be flooding into the hospitals and clinics that are still available in the area, due to issues caused by this calamity: smoke inhalation cases, people with cardiac issues caused by stress, those with issues due to stress in general, people from home accidents caused by the rush to evacuate, those from car accidents happening on overcrowded freeways, to name but a few.
An article addressing that point:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/health-and-safety-alerts/doctors-nurses-press-ahead-as-wildfires-strain-los-angeles-health-care/ar-bb1reuif?ocid=bingnewsserpOne of the stunning points made in this article is that there have been some medical personnel, doctors, nurses, etc., who have been ably performing their duties with the knowledge that their own homes have been destroyed!
Apocalpytic, indeed!
And guys who were scheduled for prostatectomies or radiation sessions in the LA area may just have to reschedule and wait.
But I suspect we will hear a good bit more on situations such as these as reporting continues, certainly since this isn't close to being over yet.