Decline and closure

By the late 1970s, the railroad hospital association facilities were experiencing declining use, as more railroad workers began to use conventional medical-insurance policies. The area surrounding the hospital also became a less-affluent area, severely affecting the hospital financially. The Santa Fe Railroad sold the 150-bed hospital to American Healthcare Management in 1980. According to a California Health Law News report, Linda Vista was forced to reduce operational expenses in the form of limiting whole services and as a result saw much blame for mistreatment of patients and a noticeable decline in quality. As the hospital cut operational costs, more hospital staff and patients began transferring out to more affluent hospitals in the area as a result. During the 1970s and 1980s, the hospital spent most of the time treating victims of gang-related violence in the nearby area as crime had risen dramatically around Boyle Heights. Making matters worse for the hospital, a majority of the victims were either underinsured or uninsured, contributing to financial difficulties. Following public criticism noted in an LA times article in 1988, system mismanagement eventually forced the hospital to close its emergency services department in 1989. The quality of care at Linda Vista Community Hospital continued to decline as doctors and nurses moved to other hospitals. In 1991, the hospital ceased operations.

Post-closure

In the decades following its closure, it was used primarily as a filming location. In January 2006, the hospital was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2011, the 4.2-acre Linda Vista Hospital complex was purchased by AMCAL Multi-Housing Inc. The building remains on the historic registry, the main hospital and former nurses dormitory, were renovated into Hollenbeck Terrace in 2015; and now the complex provides a total of 97 apartments for fixed-income seniors plus a medical facility.^[4]