Hospital's suit could hamper L.A. County's effort to expand trauma network

For the first time in several years, Los Angeles County officials are taking ambitious steps to expand the region's network of hospital trauma centers. But that plan could soon hit a roadblock. The county pays for 14 of the specialized emergency rooms, which treat only the most serious injuries, with help from a voter-approved parcel tax known as Measure B. The tax generates about $250 million a year, and officials recently pledged some of that revenue to develop a new, long-awaited trauma center in Pomona. On Tuesday, however, administrators from Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster sued the county, alleging that their trauma center hasn't received its fair share of tax measure funding.