Owner petitions court to close Los Angeles hospital

A bankruptcy court has been asked to give permission for the closure of a Los Angeles hospital following the collapse of a sale. The Los Angeles Times reports nonprofit owner Verity Health System announced its plan to close St. Vincent Medical Center yesterday. Verity Health chief executive Rich Adcock says the decision hasn’t been taken lightly and comes after exhausting all options for keeping the hospital open. The bankruptcy petition will be considered by the court later this week. St. Vincent has nearly 1,100 employees. The hospital west of downtown dates to 1856.