Harbor–UCLA Medical Center is a 570-bed public teaching hospital located at 1000 West Carson Street in Torrance, California within Los Angeles County, United States. Harbor–UCLA Medical Center is funded by the County of Los Angeles, and serves as the Level I Trauma Center for the South Bay area.Mission statement"The mission of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is to provide high quality, cost-effective, patient-centered care through leadership in medical practice, education, and research. Services are provided through an integrated health care system to residents of Los Angeles County regardless of ability to pay."HistoryA medical facility was originally opened on the site in 1943 as the U.S. Army's Port of Embarkation Hospital, which was a receiving point for the wounded returned from the Pacific theater during World War II. Situated on a tract of, it had an administration building and a large number of barracks wards arranged under the cottage system.In February 1946, the county purchased the facility from the Federal Government in order to decentralize the activities of the Los Angeles County General Hospital, one of the largest institutions of its kind in the world, and founded a branch hospital to serve the Harbor and Long Beach.
