Sacramento, CA- Assemblymember Hector De La Torre’s (D- South Gate) Assembly Bill 10 passed the Assembly 55-11.  The measure will create the Children’s Hospital Bond Act of 2008, a statewide bond issue with revenues dedicated for capital expenditures by children’s hospitals.   If adopted by voters, the bond would provide $980 million in funds dedicated to facilities and equipment for California’s children’s hospitals.  “When our children are terribly sick, or hurt, we want the very best care for them,” said Children’s Hospital Los Angles President and CEO Richard D. Cordova. “Children’s hospitals in this state save lives; many children are cured and countless others have their young lives extended for many years.”

“Without continued capital investments in medical equipment and facilities, children’s hospitals will reach a time in the near future when their equipment and facilities simply do not match the needs of California’s growing population of children,” stated Assemblymember De La Torre.  Through AB 10 we will give California voters a chance to help our children’s hospitals.   “The mission of children's hospitals is to provide pediatric specialty care for the children of our communities,” said Mel Marks, M.D., chief administrative officer of Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach. “We need to expand to meet the increasing need for children's hospital services and the most advanced technology and specialized equipment for children as the population continues to grow.”

California has 13 children’s hospitals, including eight private not-for-profit hospitals and five University of California-affiliated facilities.  These hospitals serve as regional, tertiary care centers providing services to the most seriously ill and injured children in California.  Children’s hospitals are an integral part of California’s pediatric health care safety net, caring for the majority of the state’s uninsured, Medi-Cal and Healthy Families children.