Located about 20 minutes from Downtown LA, LAX, El Segundo and Redondo Beach, MLKCH combines accessibility with purpose. Here, medicine is practiced in the context of health equity, social justice, safety-net care, immigrant health and the social factors that shape a patient’s ability to live well.
Residents train in the heart of South Los Angeles, a vibrant and culturally rich community that reflects the diversity, resilience and spirit of the city.
Our hospital is the anchor institution of the MLK Medical Campus, South LA’s hub for healthcare innovation and collaboration. As part of this medical community, residents work alongside dedicated professionals and partner with nearby healthcare providers to strengthen access to care across South Los Angeles.
South LA’s health landscape has been shaped by decades of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic marginalization. At MLKCH, residents train with a deeper understanding of the history, systems and barriers that continue to affect patient health.
South LA is a majority-Medicaid community in a state with one of the lowest provider reimbursement rates in the nation. Residents gain firsthand insight into the challenges and innovation required to deliver high-quality care in under-resourced healthcare settings.
Residents care for patients living with high rates of chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure and COPD. This training builds clinical judgment, compassion and a deeper understanding of how delayed access to care can shape outcomes over time.
Read this LA Times story about the effect of lack of access to care
There is a need for a more diverse workforce that will treat Black and Brown people with the respect and compassion they deserve.
Dr. Jason PrassoDirector of MLKCH Internal Medicine Residency Program
MLKCH’s Internal Medicine Residency Program prepares physicians to serve with skill, compassion and purpose. Learn how our first graduates helped define the program’s early legacy.
Through MLKCH’s Street Medicine program, residents spend dedicated time providing primary care to unhoused patients in encampments, on sidewalks and throughout South LA.
South LA is home to artists, entrepreneurs, advocates, families and community leaders shaping the future of Los Angeles. Residents who train here become part of a community defined by creativity, strength and possibility.