As Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center nears opening, disputes persist

The debut of Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center is coming soon, but doctors and politicians are still sparring over scarce bed space, workers are trying to fix last-minute glitches, and contractors are struggling to incorporate new technologies. The most pressing dispute surrounds bed space. When doctors and patients move to the new campus, the number of budgeted beds will drop from 671 to 600 and it is unclear how many will be dedicated exclusively to children. Twenty-five beds are certain, but some people want a total of 44. Without the additional beds, they say, the USC pediatric residency program would be at risk of shutting down.