New Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital appoints CEO

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 27, 2012)—The Martin Luther King, Jr.-Los Angeles Healthcare Corporation (“MLK-LA”) today announced that it has appointed Dr. Elaine Batchlor as Chief Executive Officer of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH).

Dr. Batchlor, who will assume her post October 15, comes to the hospital with more than 20 years of experience in the medical field. She currently serves as Chief Medical Officer for L.A. Care, the largest public health plan in the United States and a leader in developing innovative programs to provide health coverage to vulnerable populations.

The new hospital was designed to meet pressing community needs by providing inpatient primary care, basic emergency services, and health education and outreach services typical of a community hospital. The facility will anchor a campus in Willowbrook planned to provide a range of healthcare and social services to meet the community’s long-term needs.

“Dr. Batchlor is a compelling leader with a proven track record of dedication to this community and successful implementation of innovative healthcare solutions,” said Manny Abascal, chairman of the board of directors of MLK-LA. “She comes to the new hospital with a deep understanding of this community. She has been the force behind much-needed innovation in the Los Angeles healthcare system and we look forward to her leadership.”

Dr. Batchlor said, “I'm inspired by the board’s dedication to this project and I'm eager to get started. I look forward to working together toward the successful opening of the hospital with the County of Los Angeles, the University of California, and the community at large. South Los Angeles has an urgent need for a community hospital, and this new hospital was designed specifically to meet that need. Working together with our partners and the network of healthcare providers at the Willowbrook campus and beyond, I know we can succeed in bringing high-quality healthcare to the community.”

“I am delighted with Dr. Batchlor’s appointment to helm the new hospital,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. “Dr. Batchlor has the experience, expertise, and leadership skills required to make this tremendous undertaking, the launch of a new hospital, the success we know it will be.”

In her position with L.A. Care, Dr. Batchlor is known as an advocate for the widespread adoption of health information technology, helping physicians use electronic health records and telemedicine to improve access and provide integrated, patient-centered care. Dr. Batchlor has also worked to expand access to medical care, securing grants to open healthcare centers and maintain extended community clinic hours across Los Angeles.

Before her work at L.A. Care, Dr. Batchlor served as vice president of healthcare finance, organization and operations at the California HealthCare Foundation. Dr. Batchlor currently sits on the board of the Integrated Healthcare Association, a statewide organization promoting the continuous evolution of managed healthcare, as well as the California HealthCare Foundation Leadership program.

Dr. Batchlor is a licensed physician who is board-certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. She earned an MD degree from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Harvard University. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UCLA.

About Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital

The new, private Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital is scheduled to open in South Los Angeles in early 2015 as a national model for accessible, collaborative, comprehensive, and culturally sensitive healthcare. The new hospital will serve the community by providing high-quality health education, preventive care, and medical treatment regardless of citizenship or ability to pay. The board of directors of Martin Luther King, Jr. – Los Angeles Healthcare Corporation, (MLK – LA) which governs and operates the new community hospital, is committed to establishing high-quality medical services (in partnership with the University of California and Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center), implementing the right resources needed to create a quality, sustainable, coordinated healthcare delivery model in South Los Angeles.