Facing a financial crisis, the only emergency medical care center in Malibu was certain to close, until a nonprofit group came along.
By Tracy Marcynzsyn/Special to The Malibu Times
Not long ago, an ailing Malibu Urgent Care Center was ready to close its doors. Plagued with financial problems that were inflamed by a subsidy cutback from St. John’s Hospital and Health Care Center, the Malibu Urgent Care Center, the only emergency facility in Malibu, was near its end.
But when Malibu resident Helene Eisenberg, then-campaign manager for Mayor Jeff Jennings, learned of the center’s plight, she decided to take action. She became co-chair, with Malibu resident Marlene Matlow, of an organization formed to prevent the closure of the Malibu Urgent Care Center.
“The city donated $40,000,” Eisenberg said, and she, along with Matlow and Malibu residents Michael Klein and Roy March, formed the Friends of Malibu Urgent Care, affiliated with St. John’s Hospital and Health Care Center, an organization focused on raising funds for the urgent care center.
Incorporated and granted 501(c)3 certification last year, the nonprofit has raised $125,000 for the center, keeping the facility open and purchasing much-needed equipment such as a digital defibrillator.
“They have used it on several occasions,” Matlow said, vice president of Friends of Malibu Urgent Care.
Run by Dr. David Frankle and Dr. Jill Furgurson, both emergency room doctors, the clinic provides medical care for the entire Malibu community.
“We are blessed to have such qualified doctors to run the place,” Matlow said.
The group’s main goals are to fundraise to increase the center’s hours to 12 hours daily and to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for the facility.
“It costs $235 an hour to keep the center open,” Matlow said.
Malibu’s proximity to the nearest hospital makes the presence of the urgent care center critical.
“It’s essential. It could prevent deaths-the highway poses such a dilemma. At times, Malibu is stranded,” said Klein, the group’s chairman, a Malibu resident and business/sportsman who is involved in the effort “so that Malibu will have a center that will a) save lives, and b) stabilize people.”
Klein, who learned about the cause through his friend, Malibu resident, philanthropist and musician David Foster, plans to raise funds through local events such as Bernie Safire’s Cut-a-Thon and through private sessions in order to turn their goals into reality.
“We are looking into millions of dollars of donations, starting with the grassroots all the way to the tops of the trees,” Matlow said.
“If we save one life a year, we’ve done our work,” Klein said.
Matlow said the organization hopes to purchase key pieces of equipment for the center, including a digital x-ray machine, that can be read in another location, ultrasound equipment and a CBC (complete blood count) machine, making it possible for lab work to be read on the premises.
The Malibu Bay Company plans to build a new state-of-the-art urgent care center when its development agreement is finalized, but, may not be built for another three years. Until then, the Malibu Urgent Care Center is the only place for residents to go in case of an emergency. Helicopter service may also be a part of the center’s future, said Klein.
Funding the clinic is a community concern, according to Matlow.
“We will welcome anyone who wants to help us in any way, shape or form, be it a phone bank, personal appeal, or home gathering,” she said. More information about the center can be obtained by calling 456.0512, or by contacting Helene Eisenberg at 457.1294.