LOS ANGELES COUNTY PROFILE 1

Los Angeles County Profile

Joaquin Alberto

Health Care Administration 300

California State University of Long Beach

10 November, 2019
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Found in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in southern California, the County of Los

Angeles is the United States’ single most populated county, considering its general population of

over 10 million residents, as reported by the United States Census via their website, census.gov,

on July 1st, 2018 (United States Census Bureau, 2019). In comparison to the national U.S.

population of 327,167,434 residents, L.A. County’s population of 10,105,518 accounts for a

significant number of residents, especially in a single county. A background of the Los Angeles’

county’s establishment on the county profile available on the counties.org website states, “The

words los angeles literally mean “the angels” and are a contraction of the original name Pueblo

del Rio de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula (the Town of the River of

Our Lady, Queen of the Angeles). In 1781, Governor Felipe de Neve issued orders for the

establishment of the pueblo on El Rio Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles. The pueblo in time

became known as the Ciudad de Los Angeles (City of the Angels), and it is from this contraction

that the present name is derived. (counties.org, 2014)

This paper is going to shed light the general health of the Los Angeles County, as well as

provide an in-depth profile of the county’s general health statistics. It will also review and assess

some of the Los Angeles County’s most crucial healthcare problems - that being the county’s

struggle with the vaping crisis, emergency preparedness, as well as their providence and

initiative for their growing homeless community – as well as go over the consequences and

actions that the Los Angeles County has made in relation to these topics. Additionally,

recommendations and ideas to combat these issues will be provided and reviewed to shed light

on possible outcomes and strategies to remedy said issues.

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First and foremost, we will discuss the L.A. county’s current general state of health and

develop a health-related profile specific to that of the Los Angeles County. The L.A. county was

incorporated in the year 1850, consisting of five districts and headed by a Board of Supervisors.

As mentioned earlier, the L.A. county’s current population is known as one of the more populous

counties, if not the most. In fact, The World Population review has found that the Los Angeles

County’s estimated population is 10,118,759 with a growth rate of -0.02% in the past year

according to the most recent United States census data. (World Population Review, 2017) This

shows that while the L.A. county experienced exponential growth rates in the past, in more

recent years, the negative value of growth rate indicates that the population is shrinking instead

of growing.

To go into further detail and shed light on the diversity and variability of socioeconomic

factors in the L.A. county’s population, I will be discussing statistics, demographics, and data

provided by Census Reporter, a government website that provides information and data on every

county in the United States. In terms of age 21.7% of the population is under the age of 18,

64.7% of the population are ages 18 to 64, and 13.6% of the county’s population are 65 and over.

The median age in the L.A. county is 36.7 years, which is the same as the median age of the

entirety of California at 36.7 years, but a little less than the national figure at 38.2 years old. In

terms of sex, 49.3% or 4,982,529 of the population are male, while 50.7% or 5,122,989 are

female. This shows that there is almost a 50:50 ratio of men and women in the Los Angeles

county. Furthermore, Census Reporter also found that 49% of the Los Angeles population are

Hispanic, 26% are white, 8% are black, 15% are Asian, with 2% having two or more ethnicities.

It was also found that 38% of the L.A. county population earns under $50K per year, 29% at the
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$50-$100K range, 24% at the $100-$200K, and finally 10% of the population earning over

$200K a year. The median household income in the L.A. county was found to be $68,093, about

the same as the amount in California at $75,277 and 10% higher than the national average of

$61,937. In relation to household income, 14.1% of the L.A. county population fell below the

poverty line, which is about 10% higher than the average rate in California and nationally, at

12.8% and 13.1% respectively. (Census Reporter, 2018)

Now that general population information, data, and statistics have been discussed, I will

now shed light on some of the most crucial healthcare problems that the population of Los

Angeles County are facing, which are namely vaping, emergency preparedness, and

homelessness. I will also be discussing the consequences of these healthcare issues to the general

public, as well as the actions that have been taken or established in order to combat said issues.

Additionally, recommendations will be made on how to tackle and address the healthcare issues

the L.A. county faces.

Vaping has steadily increased in popularity in due to the decreasing popularity of

cigarettes, as well as the introduction of flavored nicotine. It is only recently, however, that

vaping is now being banned and regulated due to cases of lung failure and even death due to

persistent vape use. What is advertised as an alternative to cigarettes is now proving to be just as

dangerous, and with the absence of a statewide ban in California, the vaping crisis in the L.A.

county continues. Denise Dador of ABC7 News reports on the first known death caused by

vaping in the Los Angeles County, as well as sheds light on the current state of the vaping crisis

within the county. Dador writes, “Public health officials are investigating the first known death

in Los Angeles County related to the use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping. A total of 12
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cases of vaping-associated pulmonary injury have been reported in the county since Aug. 14,

according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Those reports are all from

people with a history of vaping who experienced severe and sudden lung disease and required

hospitalization.” (Dador, 2019). Dador also reports that in the 12 cases reported, a third of which

involved were older or middle-aged adults, while the remaining two thirds comprised of young

adults and teens.

Considering the amount of nicotine and vaping products available to the public, it is only

right that regulations are set in order to protect public health. In fact, California public health

advisors issued a warning for people to stop purchasing and using nicotine products following

the vape related health cases. In a Sacramento Bee news article by Ana Ibarra of Kaiser Health

news, Ibarra goes over the action local California governments have taken to address the vaping

crisis. She writes, “In the absence of a statewide ban — and as the number of people getting sick

or dying from vaping mounts — California cities and counties are stepping in, including major

population centers such as San Francisco and Los Angeles… the Los Angeles County Board of

Supervisors is expected to hold a final vote on a proposal to ban the retail sale of all flavored

tobacco products in the county’s unincorporated communities, home to about 1 million people.

(Ibarra, 2019) The Los Angeles County ended up banning flavored tobacco products including,

electronic cigarettes, menthol cigarettes and chewing tobacco. USATODAY reports on the ban,

sharing that the ordinance will not take effect until 30 days; also writing, “The county’s Board of

Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the ban and to call on California Gov. Gavin Newsom

to pass a statewide ban on vaping as health concerns grow.” ( USATODAY, 2019) While it is

clear that vaping and flavored tobacco products are just as dangerous as cigarettes, it is only right
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that the right regulations and legislations are set in place to protect and promote public health, all

of which is evident in the Los Angeles County’s effort to ban flavored tobacco products.

Another health-related issue that the County of Los Angeles is currently facing is the

prevalence of homelessness, especially in downtown L.A. Matt Tinoco, writer for LA-ist.com,

sheds light on the growing issue of homelessness in the county. Tinoco writes, “The number of

people living in Los Angeles County without a permanent home is up 12% across the board. The

rise in the City of Los Angeles was 16%, though some city council districts saw much higher

increases than others.” (Tinoco, 2019) Tinoco adds that the most probable cause of increasing

homelessness in the L.A. county, despite the great invest made by taxpayers is due to services

not being able to keep up with the number of people becoming homeless.

The issue of homelessness is clearly a very difficult task to approach due to the higher

cost of living in California, especially in the Los Angeles County, but efforts are still being made

by local government organizations like the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, also

known as LAHSA, and the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. CBSLA reports on the

County’s decision to approve government funding to help alleviate and aid the county’s

homeless population. CBSLA reports on their website, “The five elected officials who govern

Los Angeles County approved $460 million in Measure H spending on homelessness, increasing

their commitment to the problem in the face of a widely anticipated rise in the numbers of people

without a permanent home…The budget increase this year includes $126 million for

shelter/interim housing, $85.4 million for rapid re-housing, $77.3 million for permanent

supportive housing, $28.4 million for outreach and $23 million for prevention. (CBSLA, 2019)

This demonstrates the effort and actions made by the County in order to promote the well-being
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of its homeless population, as well as prevent further increase of the issue by enacting

anticipatory initiatives.

Emergency Preparedness is a highly controversial topic of healthcare Los Angeles

County as of right now. In fact, the topic of emergency preparedness may be easily overlooked

but should not be taken lightly along with civil liability, organizational entities and individuals

can be held liable for criminal penalties based on their actions during an emergency. In the event

of an emergency, there must be set procedures and guidelines that ensure the safety and

protection of the common good. Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, outbreaks of infectious diseases,

and more recently, mass shootings are only a few examples of emergencies that a community can

face. Considering the importance of emergency preparations and procedures, they are therefore

implemented at the national, state, and administrative levels of law. The following issue

highlights a court case that will shed light on the importance and value of emergency

preparedness to society. This review will show how emergency preparedness plans can become

dated and must be assessed to accommodate all, such is the case of Independent Living Center of

Southern California, et al. v. the City of Los Angeles, et al. , which highlights groundbreaking

settlement for accessible housing for L.A. county residents.

This case shed light on the importance of emergency preparedness and the responsibility

of authorities to ensure that all parties are accommodated, protected, and included in their

emergency plans and procedures. Its ruling sets an example for all emergency preparedness plans

to include all, as well as hold as a reminder that failure to provide equal access to emergency

preparedness programs can result in disastrous instances of injury and loss of life. The disabled

population of the Los Angeles County can finally be at peace knowing their unique needs are
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recognized and will be catered to with the implementation of the new emergency plans. Emily

Reyes and David Zahniser of the Los Angeles Times reports on the settlement reached by the

plaintiff as well as the actions to be taken by the Los Angeles County in order to create

emergency preparedness plans that accommodate all, including the disabled. Reyes and Zahniser

write, “Los Angeles will spend more than $200 million over the next decade to settle a federal

lawsuit alleging that the city failed to provide enough apartments for people with disabilities in

its publicly funded housing developments…Under a deal approved Tuesday by the City Council,

city officials will be required to ensure that 4,000 units are accessible to people who use

wheelchairs, have hearing impairments or live with other disabilities. The city could reach that

goal by building additional apartments, redesigning existing ones or demonstrating that units

already built are, in fact, accessible.” (Reyes & Zahniser, 2016). This illustrates the Los Angeles

County’s efforts to address equal representation for all in regard to emergency preparedness

plans.

The county of Los Angeles is one of the most populated counties in the country, not to

mention one of the most diverse. Considering its size, it is important that health risks and issues

are addressed appropriately and effectively, in order to ensure that public health is protected and

promoted. Some, if not the most crucial healthcare problems the Los Angeles County has faced,

although not completely solved, are effectively regulated with the help of local government and

government organizations. This is what I believe is crucial in any healthcare related problem,

government regulation. Laws and regulations are necessary in order to control and regulate

products, maintain equal representation, and extend reach to the less fortunate, as proven by the

cases discussed.
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Works Cited:

Associated Press. (2019, October 2). Flavored tobacco products banned in Los Angeles County;

calls for statewide ban heat up. Retrieved from

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/10/02/los-angeles-county-bans

flavored-tobacco-vapes/3839218002/.

CBS-LA. (2019, May 14). LA County Approves $460 Million In Homeless Initiatives. Retrieved

from https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/05/14/la-county-approves-460-million-in-

homeless-initiatives/.

Census Reporter. (2018). Census profile: Los Angeles County, CA. Retrieved November 22,

2019, from https://censusreporter.org/profiles/05000US06037-los-angeles-county-ca/.

Counties.org. (n.d.). Los Angeles County. Retrieved November 22, 2019, from

https://www.counties.org/county-profile/los-angeles-county.

Dador, D. (2019, September 7). Public health officials confirm 1st known vaping-associated

death in Los Angeles County. Retrieved from https://abc7.com/health/1st-known-vaping-

associated-death-reported-in-la-county/5520786/.

Ibarra, A. B. (2019, September 27). In California, local governments are taking the lead to ban

vaping products. Here's why. Retrieved from https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-

and-medicine/article235564947.html.
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Reyes, E. A., & Zahniser, D. (2016, August 31). L.A. to spend more than $200 million to settle

suit on housing for disabled. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-

ln-housing-settlement-disabled-20160828-snap-story.html.

U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Los Angeles County, California;

United States. Retrieved from

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/losangelescountycalifornia,US/PST045218.