Laguna Beach city leaders are pouring half a million dollars into their effort to stop the impending closure of the city’s only emergency room.
The Providence Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach is slated to close in early 2030, as the building will have to undergo $350 million in improvements to bring the facility up to seismic building codes.
On Tuesday, city council members voted unanimously to spend $500,000 researching ways to preserve the facility, with staff noting it could go toward bringing in specialized experts and consultants who understand healthcare laws and other regulations.
Currently, Providence is suggesting that the hospital be
Currently, Providence is suggesting that the hospital be turned into a non-acute, outpatient center. In California, if a hospital has an ER, it must be a “general acute care hospital,” and state law does not allow for stand-alone ERs.
Under state law, acute inpatient care hospitals must be able to stay standing and operational after a major earthquake, or else face a retrofitting, replacement, demolition or stop use as an acute care center before Jan. 1, 2030.
Hospitals are allowed to request a three year extension, but Providence did not seek the extension for the Laguna Beach ER, according to an Oct. 13 staff report.
The City is evaluating other approaches, also, including
“The City is evaluating other approaches, also, including discussion with other hospital operators, evaluating other ways to fund emergency care, and other options – including an evaluation of all legal avenues – to maintain a hospital in Laguna Beach,” reads the report.
The emergency department is heavily used, seeing nearly 15,000 visits in 2025, with about 7,000 being the “highest complexity level,” according to the staff report.
From July 1 to Aug. 25 alone, 1,085 of the 1,811 ambulance transports in the city went to the Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach, with the average transport time being five minutes.
If the facility were to close, emergencies would
If the facility were to close, emergencies would be routed to other nearby hospitals – Providence in Mission Viejo 8.6 miles away, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center 11 miles away, Kaiser Permanente in Irvine 13 miles away and Hoag Hospital in Newport 16 miles away.
The closure has sparked concern in the community, with residents against the closure of the ER.
“Officers, police officers, rangers, fire officials, life guards, city officials, citizens and tourists are all at risk without having an ER close by,” said public commenter Robert Cosgrove at the meeting.
A survey conducted earlier this year revealed
A survey conducted earlier this year revealed that 88% of a sample of 400 residents stated that having an ER accessible in the city was important to them.
Following Providence’s announcement of the closure, in March, Laguna Beach city officials voted to create a “Hospital Task Force,” consisting of 16 members, including council members Alex Rounaghi and Bob Whalen.
The task force has since worked with Providence to discuss a potential “micro-hospital” and also met with representatives at the Attorney General’s office, and sending a letter last month, requesting an impact study be completed and request review of funding.
Providence and the city are also pursuing legislation that would allow stand-alone ERs.
In a very short period of time, we
“In a very short period of time, we have gotten us geared up to a good spot,” Whalen said at the Oct. 13 meeting. “We’re going to be fully equipped to handle this issue and get the results that we want for the community.”
Michelle King is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. You can reach her at admin@voiceofoc.org.
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