LOS ANGELES : County-USC Accredited After Fire Safety Steps

Officials at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center said Tuesday the hospital was given a three-year unconditional accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, although the hospital remains under the gun to replace or upgrade its outdated facilities.

The hospital was accredited last year, but on a conditional basis because of an antiquated fire protection system and other problems. In 1989, the commission put the hospital on probation when it found the medical center lacking in 19 of 54 areas evaluated.

Jerry Buckingham, the hospital’s executive director, said the accreditation commission was still concerned about fire safety problems but was satisfied with steps the medical center had taken to remedy the problem.

The hospital, built in 1933, doesn’t have fire sprinklers and fails to measure up to current standards in other areas. To deal with the problem on a short-term basis, county workers will patrol the floors of the medical facility in a 24-hour fire watch.