Malibu’s Medical Lifeline Through Disasters

Wildfire relief

Other

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Malibu Urgent Care is the only walk-in medical facility in Malibu open 365 days a year and staffed by Board-Certified Emergency Physicians, effectively serving as a stand-alone emergency room for a community without a hospital. During the recent Franklin and Palisades Fires, it remained operational despite evacuation orders and road closures, providing critical care to residents and first responders when the nearest hospital was over 90 minutes away. Physicians treated injuries, offered telehealth for displaced individuals, and collaborated with law enforcement and first responders. Unfortunately, the facility did not have advanced imaging equipment (CT/MRI) commonly found in ERs, nor did any other facility in Malibu or Pacific Palisades. Patients that could have been managed in Malibu had to leave the city in the midst of the fires and subsequent landslides in order to obtain appropriate medical diagnostics, introducing delays in medical care and increased risk of adverse outcomes.

To expand access and reduce the need for out-of-town medical travel, we are leading a capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art medical facility on the site of the old Malibu Post Office, which will include CT and MRI imaging. This new center will significantly enhance diagnostic and emergency care capabilities—especially critical during disasters when Malibu is cut off from regional hospitals. This grant will support Friends of Malibu Urgent Care in stabilizing and sustaining the area’s only disaster-ready medical clinic, a vital health lifeline for a geographically isolated community repeatedly affected by wildfires and natural disasters. Funds will help meet essential operational needs, including staffing, equipment maintenance, and sustaining emergency infrastructure such as the clinic’s backup power generator, which enabled it to remain open during the recent Franklin and Palisades fires. No other local clinic offers this level of coordinated, disaster-responsive care. By investing in this proven, community-driven model, we ensure that all residents and first responders maintain access to lifesaving care when it matters most.

If successful, this grant will ensure Malibu Urgent Care remains open, staffed, and fully equipped to serve as the region’s critical healthcare lifeline during disasters. In the short term, we’ll stabilize operations, retain critical staff and continue delivering programs like cardiac screenings, flu vaccinations and emergency preparedness. Long term, we’ll expand capacity and create a replicable model for disaster resilient community healthcare. During the fires, one physician drove through active flames to deliver lab samples to Santa Monica because couriers couldn’t reach Malibu. One result showed a patient was septic, she couldn’t leave town for fear of not being allowed back. That act saved her life. You can’t quantify a life. This clinic is essential and with support, the clinic can continue save lives and help other isolated communities prepare for future emergencies.