MLK Community Healthcare Holds Dream Show in Critical Year for Hospital

For nearly a decade, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital has been offering lifesaving medical services to the residents of South Los Angeles — while seeking to provide a level of care found in some of the city's wealthiest areas. The nonprofit hospital shares an ethos with the larger community to dream big.

In that spirit, the hospital celebrates its deep ties to the South L.A. community with "a special night filled with stories of hope, triumph, and purpose." Airing January 13 on KTLA5 and streaming at thedreamshow.org, the fourth annual Dream Show honors the entrepreneurs, artists, and activists who are uplifting and elevating the neighborhood.  The event is hosted by GLAAD VP of communications Anthony Allen Ramos and features a performance by singer-songwriter Joy Oladokum.

MLK Community Hospital opened in 2015 to replace the shuttered county-run Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, which was the only health care facility in this safety-net community. The new, privately run hospital has been praised in recent years for its quality of care, earning a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 5-star rating, a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade of A for patient safety, and a Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission. However, MLK Community Healthcare is facing significant financial challenges in the wake of its success. (Its emergency room admissions topped 100,000 patients in 2022, about four times what it was designed to handle.) MLK Community Hospital — which includes four satellite clinics — relies on aid from the county and state to help cover its operating costs, but government funding has not matched the rise in medical costs and patient loads. The institution lost more than $42 million in its most recent budget year.

The good news: The hospital has secured a state loan that will keep it afloat at least through the winter as administrators work toward a healthier financial future. During this crucial time, join GRoW in supporting MLK Community Hospital as well as Dream Show 2024.