Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital

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The Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital is a retirement community, with individual cottages, and a fully licensed, acute-care hospital, located at 23388 Mulholland Drive in Woodland Hills, California. It is a service of the Motion Picture & Television Fund, providing services for members of the motion picture and television industry.

Contents

[edit] History

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In 1940, then president of the Motion Picture Relief Fund, Jean Hersholt, found 48 acres (194,000 m²) of walnut and orange groves in the southwest end of the San Fernando Valley that was selling for $850 an acre ($0.21/m²). The Board purchased the property for the Motion Picture Country House. To offset the costs for the first buildings, which were designed by architect William Pereira, seven acres (28,000 m²) were sold. Mary Pickford and Jean Hersholt broke the first ground. The dedication was on September 27, 1942.

The Motion Picture Hospital was dedicated on the grounds of the Country House in 1948. In attendance were Ronald Reagan, Shirley Temple, and Robert Young, among other stars. Services were later extended to those working in the television industry as well, and the name was altered to reflect the change.

Scores of movie notables spent their last years here; so have far less famous people from behind the scenes of the industry. Those with money paid their own way, while others, who had no money, paid nothing. Fees are based solely on the "ability to pay."

Individuals in movies, TV, and other aspects of the industry, are accepted, from actors, artists, backlot men, cameramen, directors, extras, producers, security guards and stars. To qualify for a cottage, applicants (or their spouses) must have reached a minimum age of fifty-five for women and sixty for men, working steadily for at least twenty years in entertainment industry production. The waiting time is usually a few months, with no preference given to celebrities or those who can pay their own way, officials of the fund have said.[citation needed]

The facility has an annual budget of $120 million.[1]

[edit] Announced Closure and Controversy

On January 14, 2009, the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) announced their plan to close their Woodland Hills acute and long term care Hospital by the end of 2009. At the time of the announcement 138 individuals were receiving long term care at the facility. Jeffrey Katzenberg, current chairman of the MPTF Foundation Board, said the fund realized they had no choice but to close the facility, stating "the acute-care hospital and long-term-care facility are generating operating deficits that could bankrupt...in a very few years."[1]

MPTF claimed that beginning in 2005, Fund administrators reported a yearly $10 million deficit on the MPTF Fund's budget. IRS returns contradict that claim.[2] Returns for 2006 and 2007 claim the funds assets actually increased both years.[3][4] Experts and the United Healthcare Workers Union both have looked over the funds figures and found no concerns calling the excuses for closure, "Hogwash".[5] Katzenberg has refused to comment, only speaking to Deadline Hollywood and even then refusing to be directly quoted.[6] In addition to the questionable deficit, it has been found that the Motion Picture Fund pays nearly $20,000,000 a year in 'consulting fees', which is much more than other comparable foundations.[7] Of that $20 million, only $5 million has gone to pay doctor's fees. A good portion of the consulting money went to the Camden Group, a private medical consultantcy which recommended the closing of the home and hospital.[8]

There were over 500 hospital admissions and approximately 100 long-term residents alone in 2008. The Fund administrators projected their shortfall would only grow as a result of the deteriorating economy.[1]

Following the announcement, public outcry ensued. "This is a very sad moment for an important institution," said Martin Kaplan, professor at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, "which has been part of the golden and final years of so many working people in Hollywood, both famous and not so famous."[1] Hollywood historian Marc Wanamaker felt the decision to close the facility was hypocritical, saying "they have many members that are worth 100 million bucks each. Why can't they give a little more to close that deficit?"[1]

Primary sources of funding for long term care and the hospital are Medicare and Medi-Cal. The facility claims it receives approximately $20 million a year in reimbursements, though operating costs were $30 million a year.[1] The MPTF receives approximately $10,500 per patient, per month from Medi-Cal. The California Healthcare Foundation found that the MPTF receives 80% of its patient funding from Medi-Cal.[5] It has been suspected the Fund lost money to the Bernie Madoff scheme as Katzenberg himself did. However so far the Fund denies losing money to the ponzi scheme.[5]

Following the January 14, 2009 announcement, families and supporters of MPTF's Woodland Hills campus formed the coalition Saving the Lives of Our Own to respond the MPTF's decision to close the hospital and end long term care. The website Saving the Lives of Our Own was created by the coalition.

[edit] Famous residents

* denotes died while resident at hospital

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l By Lisa Girion and Richard Verrier: "Movie industry hospital and nursing home to close". Los Angeles Times. 2009-01-15. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-moviehome15-2009jan15,0,2131643.story. Retrieved on 2009-02-26. 
  2. ^ Gumbel, Andrew (2009-02-09). "As Elderly Are Displaced, MPTF CEO Makes $600,000". The Wrap. http://www.thewrap.com/article/1329. Retrieved on 2009-02-26. 
  3. ^ "Motion Picture & Television Fund 2006 Tax Return". The Wrap. http://www.scribd.com/doc/11935640/THEWRAPCOM-Return-of-Organization-Exempt-from-Income-Tax-2006. Retrieved on 2009-02-26. 
  4. ^ "Motion Picture & Television Fund 2007 Tax Return". The Wrap. http://www.scribd.com/doc/11935823/THEWRAPCOM-Return-of-Organization-Exempt-from-Income-Tax-2007. Retrieved on 2009-02-26. 
  5. ^ a b c Gumbel, Andrew (2009-02-08). "Part I: MPTF residents despondent; six have died since closure announced". The Wrap. http://www.thewrap.com/article/1316. Retrieved on 2009-02-26. 
  6. ^ Finke, Nikki (2009-01-20). "Jeff Katzenberg Explains MPTF Closures (Exclusive)". Deadline Hollywood Daily (LA Weekly). http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/jeffrey-katzenberg-explains-mptf-closures/. Retrieved on 2009-02-26. 
  7. ^ http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/1607
  8. ^ http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/1607

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