Which Way, L.A.?

Tenet Healthcare under Investigation

Tenet Healthcare, the nationwide chain that has increased its leverage by mergers and acquisitions, owns 113 acute care hospitals in 16 states. Tenet owns 40 medical centers in California, including Century City, Midway, Queen of Angeles and Daniel Freeman in Los Angeles. But in the past two weeks, the company-s stock has dropped by two-thirds and senior executives have left as Tenet defends itself against allegations of unnecessary surgery and other invasive procedures, and a federal audit of its Medicare billings. We examine the claims with a healthcare reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Tenet-s response with its vice president of corporate communications, and the impact on the hospital industry with the executive vice president of the Healthcare Association of Southern California. Newsmaker: California-s Deficit Problems The big issue that never got talked about in this year-s gubernatorial campaign was California-s impending financial crisis. The $20 billion deficit equals one-quarter of the state-s total operating budget. Elizabeth Hill, state legislative analyst says that the dilemma leaves policy makers with -no easy way out.- Reporter-s Notebook: Downsizing in Playa Vista Playa Vista is the massive, and emotionally controversial, development between Westchester and Marina del Rey. Now, Playa Vista says it-s scaling back, in part because Proposition 50 will provide public money to buy and preserve part of the wetlands ecosystem that would otherwise be developed. Former LA mayoral candidate Steve Soboroff, now president of Playa Vista, has more on the -smaller, greener plan.-