Why CalOptima Health Matters to Every Orange County Resident

The emergency department handled nearly 15,000 visits in 2025, including about 7,000 classified at the highest complexity level. Its closure would send emergency patients to hospitals in nearby communities, making access and ambulance travel central issues in the city’s preservation effort.

The finding could help surfers and doctors distinguish the condition from cancer and avoid unnecessary testing or treatment, according to KTLA.

The change affects a city program that had relied on Be Well OC for 18 hours a day of service under a $1.1 million annual contract. Voice of OC reported that Mind OC, Be Well OC's parent nonprofit, told city leaders it could no longer financially uphold the agreement.