County Home Rule in California: the Los Angeles County Charter

Ambient Air Pollution and Autism in Los Angeles County, California

BACKGROUND The prevalence of autistic disorder (AD), a serious developmental condition, has risen dramatically over the past two decades, but high-quality population-based research addressing etiology is limited. OBJECTIVES We studied the influence of exposures to traffic-related air pollution during pregnancy on the development of autism using data from air monitoring stations and a land use...

Hospital disaster preparedness in Los Angeles County.

BACKGROUND There are no standardized measures of hospital disaster preparedness or hospital "surge capacity." OBJECTIVES To characterize disaster preparedness among a cohort of hospitals in Los Angeles County, focusing on practice variation, plan characteristics, and surge capacity. METHODS This was a descriptive, cross-sectional survey study, followed by on-site verification. Forty-five 9-...

Increased cardiovascular mortality associated with the turn of the millennium in Los Angeles County, California.

T he turn of the millennium attracted levels of public attention and excitement that far surpassed those of previous New Year’s changeovers. Concern about the reliability of computer systems, terrorist attacks, and other possible doomsday scenarios contributed to a heightened sense of anticipation worldwide. In addition, the holiday and New Year’s season can be simultaneously stressful and joyo...

The Changing Epidemiology of Coccidioidomycosis in Los Angeles (LA) County, California, 1973–2011

Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, is often thought of as an endemic disease of central California exclusive of Los Angeles County. The fungus that causes Valley Fever, Coccidioides spp., grows in previously undisturbed soil of semi-arid and arid environments of certain areas of the Americas. LA County has a few large areas with such environments, particularly the Antelope Valley w...

The Burden of Disease in Los Angeles County