The recently closed St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles’ Westlake district is to be leased to the state for use in combating the coronavirus pandemic, the company that owns the facility announced Friday.
The seven-story building, which closed in January, will be leased to the state government in one of two deals reached between the state and Verity Health System of California, Inc., Veritas representatives said in a written statement.
The state will be leasing the building “to determine its best use to help address COVID-19 in Los Angeles County,” according to the statement.
The hospital at 2131 W. Third St. closed in January after the company declared bankruptcy.
The second agreement calls for COVID-19 patients to be treated at the Seton Medical Center in Daly City, just south of San Francisco.
“Under this agreement, which was approved today by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Verity will continue to operate Seton Medical Center and will, in partnership with the State, make beds and services available for assessment and treatment of COVID-19 patients, in addition to continuing to provide quality care to Daly City and surrounding communities,” the statement said.
The company also owns and operates St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, which is also expected to care for coronavirus patients.
“We are pleased to be able to partner with the State of California to address this pressing public health need,” Verity CEO Rich Adcock said. “We continue to be committed to supporting our staff, our patients and the communities we serve through this challenging time.”
