If you grew up in South Los Angeles, the name Martin Luther King Jr Drew Medical Center probably brings up a complicated mix of emotions. For decades, it was the "People’s Hospital." It was born from the ashes of the 1965 Watts Riots, a symbol of hope and a hard-won victory for civil rights. It was supposed to prove that high-quality healthcare wasn't just for the wealthy in the hills.
But by the early 2000s, that dream had turned into a nightmare. You might remember the headlines. People started calling it "Killer King." It sounds harsh, but the reality inside those walls became a national scandal that eventually forced the federal government to pull the plug. Honestly, it's one of the most tragic stories in American medical history—not because the community didn't care, but because the system meant to save them failed so completely.
The Rise and Fall of Martin Luther King Jr Drew Medical Center
The hospital opened its doors in 1972. Before that, if you lived in Watts or Willowbrook and had a medical emergency, you had to travel over 10 miles to LAC+USC Medical Center. In heavy traffic, that was basically a death sentence. The McCone Commission, which investigated the causes of the Watts Riots, pointed directly at this lack of healthcare as a major factor in the community's unrest.
When the hospital finally arrived, it wasn't just a clinic. It was a massive teaching facility paired with the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. It was a source of jobs. It was a point of pride. For a while, it worked. The trauma center became one of the busiest in the country, dealing with the brutal realities of the 1980s and 90s gang violence. The doctors there were experts at treating gunshot wounds because, sadly, they saw them every single day.
So, what went wrong?
It wasn't one thing. It was a slow, agonizing collapse.
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By the early 2000s, the Los Angeles Times began a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation that exposed a culture of negligence. We’re not talking about small mistakes. We’re talking about patients dying because they were ignored in the waiting room.
One of the most infamous cases was Edith Rodriguez. In 2007, she literally died on the floor of the ER lobby. She was 43 years old. She was writhing in pain, vomiting blood, and for 45 minutes, staff and even a janitor reportedly walked right past her. A 911 dispatcher even refused to send help because she was already inside a hospital. That was the final straw.
- Federal Funding: The hospital relied on the government for about $200 million—half its budget.
- Failed Inspections: Inspectors found nurses were being told to lie on charts.
- Equipment Issues: Heart monitors would flatline and nobody would notice for hours.
- The Taser Incident: In one of the weirder, more horrifying reports, police used Tasers on psychiatric patients to "subdue" them.
In August 2007, the federal government officially pulled the funding. The county had no choice. They shut down the inpatient beds and the emergency room. A community that had fought so hard for a hospital was suddenly left with a giant, empty building.
The "New" MLK: A Different Kind of Care
If you drive past 120th and Wilmington today, it looks different. You won't see the old Martin Luther King Jr Drew Medical Center operating the way it used to. The old "tower" didn't even meet earthquake standards.
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Instead, a brand-new facility, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH), opened in 2015. It’s smaller—131 beds compared to the old 233—but it’s run totally differently. It’s a private, non-profit partnership. The County of Los Angeles owns the building, but the University of California (UC) system helps with the staffing.
It’s been a massive turnaround. In 2024 and 2025, this new hospital has been getting five-star ratings from Medicare. That is almost unheard of for a "safety net" hospital. They’ve basically had to rebuild the community's trust from zero.
Current Campus Breakdown
The site is now more of a "wellness campus" than just a single hospital:
- MLK Community Hospital: The main spot for acute care and ER.
- MLK Outpatient Center: Handles the day-to-day stuff like clinics and surgery.
- The Behavioral Health Center: This is a big deal. It’s a $300 million-plus project that took over the old hospital building to focus on mental health and substance abuse.
The Money Problem Nobody Talks About
Even though the new hospital is "successful," it’s struggling. Why? Because of the way healthcare is paid for in America.
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Most patients at the new MLK are on Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid). Here’s the kicker: Medi-Cal pays the hospital way less than what the care actually costs. Dr. Elaine Batchlor, the CEO, has been very vocal about this. She’s pointed out that while a private insurance company might pay $2,000 for an ER visit, Medi-Cal might only pay $150.
You do the math. When your ER is seeing 100,000 people a year—three times what it was built for—and most of those visits are losing money, you’re in trouble. The hospital has been fighting for state legislation to fix this funding gap so they don't end up like the old "Drew" did.
What You Should Know if You Need Care
If you're heading to the MLK campus today, don't expect the old, chaotic environment. It’s one of the most high-tech hospitals in the city now. But because it’s so popular and there are so few other options in South LA, the wait times in the ER can be brutal.
Actionable Steps for the Community:
- Use the Urgent Care: If it’s not a life-or-death emergency (like a broken bone or a bad flu), go to the Outpatient Center's urgent care. You’ll save hours of waiting in the main ER.
- Check the Ratings: You can look up MLKCH on the Leapfrog Group or CMS Hospital Compare. They consistently rank high for patient safety now, which is a huge shift from the 2000s.
- Advocate for Funding: Keep an eye on state bills regarding "DSH" (Disproportionate Share Hospital) funding. This is the lifeblood that keeps safety-net hospitals open.
The legacy of the original Martin Luther King Jr Drew Medical Center is a reminder of what happens when a community is neglected. The success of the new hospital shows what’s possible when people actually invest in South LA. It’s not perfect, but it’s a long way from the "Killer King" days.
To stay informed on the hospital's current services or to find a primary doctor within the MLK network, visit the official MLK Community Healthcare website to view their directory of specialized clinics.