University of California-Irvine Medical Center plans to reduce pediatric care

The University of California-Irvine Medical Center plans to eliminate its 25 pediatric beds early in 2009 and transfer in-patient services to the Children's Hospital of Orange County. The proposal was criticized by some politicians and protested by hospital nurses at a rally outside the facility. The UC Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on the plan at a meeting in San Francisco. If approved, the hospital's pediatric beds will be converted to adult beds to help handle high demand for those services. At the same time, the eight-bed pediatric intensive care unit will be absorbed into its regular intensive care services.