Los Angeles area fires affect hospitals, delaying surgeries and closing clinics

The devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area have affected hospitals and health systems in southern California.

Hospitals in the Los Angeles area have closed clinics and delayed some elective surgeries due to the wildfires in the region.

While hospitals and most clinics continue to serve patients, some clinics had to temporarily close due to the massive fires. Some non-emergency surgeries and appointments are also being postponed. Health systems are also expanding virtual appointments to offer services to patients.

The Cedars-Sinai medical campus remains open, but it is close to some of the wildfires. Cedars-Sinai postponed non-urgent surgeries Thursday and Friday.

“In doing so, we are looking out for our patients in greatest need as we confront extraordinary and fast-moving conditions,” Cedars-Sinai said in a statement.

Some Cedars-Sinai outpatient offices and surgery centers have been closed because they are in evacuation areas, including sites in Santa Monica, Brentwood/West Los Angeles and Pasadena.

Some Cedars-Sinai locations outside of evacuation zones are being hampered by power outages, the system said. “We continue to contact affected patients, and we are doing everything we can to minimize disruptions to care,” the system said.

Cedars-Sinai is directing patients to its virtual care options.

UCLA Health's hospitals are all open. "There has been no change to our surgery and procedure scheduling processes," said Phil Hampton, UCLA Health's senior director of communications.

Several UCLA Health clinics, including locations in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, and Santa Monica, have been closed by the wildfires. But most of UCLA Health's 280 clinics and outpatient locations are open.

The health system is urging patients to reach out to primary care clinics rather than showing up at hospital emergency rooms.

“UCLA Health asks that visits to our medical center emergency departments be reserved for urgent and life-threatening medical conditions,” the system said in a message online. “For all other conditions, patients are urged to contact their primary care physician.”

Kaiser Permanente maintains a strong presence in southern California, and the health system says most of its facilities are open for patients. But several Kaiser Permanente clinics are closed due to the wildfires, including offices in Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Thousand Oaks.

With conditions changing, Kaiser Permanente said other facilities may have to close or adjust hours, so the system advised patients to check this website for the latest updates.

AltaMed Health Services said a clinic in Pasadena was destroyed by the Eaton wildfire. “Thankfully, everyone was safely evacuated,” AltaMed said in a post on X.

Seven AltaMed clinics in the Los Angeles area have closed temporarily due to the wildfires.

City of Hope closed clinics in Pasadena and South Pasadena. The system’s hospital at its Duarte campus was closed Wednesday, but the hospital reopened Thursday. The system also advised patients that hold times may be longer than usual as appointments are rescheduled.

“To our patients, community and staff who are affected by these devastating fires: Our hearts are with you,” City of Hope said on X.

Citing the wildfires, along with power outages and other problems due to the high winds, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles closed its specialty care clinics in Encino and Santa Monica Thursday. The hospital advised families that if they needed care for their children, they should come to the hospital’s emergency department, which is open.

The San Gabriel Valley VA Clinic is closed through Friday, but patients can get appointments virtually. Some elective surgeries and procedures are also being postponed, the VA said.

Adventist Health’s hospital in Glendale remains open, even though it's near the Eaton wildfire. The hospital said its emergency department is open. Adventist Health Glendale said it didn’t expect widespread delays in surgeries, but the hospital will contact patients if some procedures need to be postponed. The hospital’s urgent care and pediatric location in Montrose has been closed due to the fire.

Los Angeles Health Services’ clinics have remained open through Thursday night.

The smoke from the wildfires is affecting air quality in the Los Angeles area. Cedars-Sinai says its offering more appointments with pulmonologists for patients who have respiratory issues, such as asthma and pulmonary fibrosis.

Isabel F. Pedraza, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and director of the medical intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai, said in a statement, “We want to ensure that our patients have access to care when they most need it.”

Kaiser Permanente advised residents to keep windows closed and to use fans to keep air moving in their homes.

At least 10 people have died in the wildfires, and authorities say the death toll is likely to rise, The Washington Post reports. More than 10,000 structures have been destroyed, according to the Associated Press.