Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital opens its doors in South Los Angeles

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's been eight years since the 1.3 million people who call the South Los Angeles area home have had a full-service medical center.

That changed on Tuesday as the long-awaited Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital opened its doors and began seeing patients.

In 2007, complaints of poor patient care forced federal regulators to close the original medical center. It's a legacy doctors are aware of and acknowledge.

"We have a new vision with new staff. The old hospital had its own story, it's not our story to tell, but we're really focused on making sure we provide the best possible care for this community," said Dr. Efrain Talamantes, the hospital's internal medicine director.

Dr. Oscar Casillas, the hospital's director of emergency medicine, says top care and reducing wait times are a priority.

"We see and we treat anybody who comes to our doors no matter how they got to us," Casillas said.

In each hospital room, smart beds track the movement of every patient and automated LV drips immediately notify pharmacists when they're empty. Every high-tech detail, including automated blinds, are dedicated to improving patient care.