The Brief

The first free surgical center in the U.S. has opened in Orange County.  

The Lestonnac Free Clinic’s new surgery center will rely on a network of surgeons donating their time to perform low-risk vital procedures for patients who cannot afford care.

Those procedures include hernia repairs to allow patients to get back to work, cataract surgeries to restore sight and colonoscopies to screen for cancer.

The clinic has been providing free basic health, dental and vision care to thousands from its office in Orange for decades. The new 4,000-square-foot Lestonnac Surgery Center celebrated its grand opening Thursday and expects to start performing its first free surgeries in mid-June.

“The dream  of this surgery center came up years ago because too many patients were underinsured or uninsured,” said Ed Gerber, the clinic’s executive director.

Supporters say this kind of care is even more necessary as California faces a $6.2 billion Medicaid funding gap, and the future is uncertain for 15 million residents who rely on the program.

Lestonnac doesn’t bill insurance companies or receive federal or state funds, instead relying on private donors. The Thompson Family Foundation donated $4 million to open the new surgical wing.

The clinic expects to provide about 700 free surgeries in the new center’s first year.

Free surgery?

The nonprofit Lestonnac Free Clinic has been offering patients limited free surgeries since 2019. The clinic’s volunteer surgeons currently perform about 13 operations at partner hospitals each month, Gerber said.

In the new surgery facility, the clinic will be able to perform more than 60 surgeries per month — tripling the total number of free surgeries the clinic provides to uninsured patients.

“There is a growing number of people who need surgery but they don't have the resources or access,” said Dr. Theresa Chin, an acute care surgeon at UCI Medical Center and Lestonnac’s surgical director. “The new surgery center will change lives by allowing us volunteer surgeons to reach more patients, diagnose conditions earlier, and provide timely treatment.”

Gerber, the clinic’s executive director, said a medical center offering basic surgeries for low-income patients is badly needed in the area his clinic serves.

“In Orange County, we don't have a county hospital, so there's nowhere we can send a patient that needs help,” Gerber said. “If we try to send them to L.A., they say they're not an L.A. resident. So it's important, especially here in this county, that we make a difference and fill that hole that is not being filled.”

Lestonnac Free Clinic executive director Ed Gerber tours the new surgical facility with major donor Bill Thompson on its grand opening on May 1, 2025.

(

Lestonnac Free Clinic

/

Courtesy

)

Gerber said insurance doesn’t always cover the surgeries people need, like a lipoma on somebody’s back, which insurance companies consider cosmetic.

“ The insurance company may not pay for it unless it's life threatening,” Geber said. “Those types of surgeries, it's very important that the person, just for their continued wellbeing, be able to get those surgeries.”

A big part of the clinic’s work will also include doing free diagnostic tests for throat and colon cancer.

“The endoscopies and colonoscopies, if you don't have insurance, it's $3,000 or $4,000 to get one of those,” Gerber said. “But if you don't get it and you have cancer, that means a life sentence, you know? I mean, we can't let individuals slip through the safety net.”

Volunteers and donors 

Lestonnac Free Clinic opened as Orange County’s first free clinic in 1979. It’s now one of a few dozen nonprofit free clinics operating in Southern California. Last year, the clinic provided 12,000 patients with care at no cost.

The clinic is currently staffed by more than 300 licensed medical professionals from Southern California hospitals, who volunteer their time. That includes more than 20 licensed surgeons and 14 anesthesiologists, according to Gerber.

“That's taken us years and years of effort to try to get the doctors to donate their time to be able to do this,” said Gerber. “It's a herculean effort to make this happen, but I think in the end it's absolutely worth the effort.”

The Lestonnac Free Clinic in Orange has been offering free primary care since 1979. In 2025, it's offerings include surgeries.

(

Lestonnac Free Clinic

/

Courtesy

)

Lestonnac is also supported by local and national grants, foundations and private donors.

Before their $4 million donation for a surgery center, philanthropists Bill and Nancy Thompson of the Thompson Foundation had been long-time donors.

“We have been proud supporters of Lestonnac Free Clinic for years, and knew that this investment would help further address critical gaps in our healthcare system,” foundation CEO Bill Thompson said in a statement.

The surgery center was also funded with large donations from the Sarva Mangal Family Trust, the Patel Family Charitable Fund and the Association of Los Angeles Physicians of Indian Origin.

While Lestonnac’s two new state-of-the-art operating rooms are now fully operational, the clinic is still waiting on credentialing, which is scheduled to occur on May 19, Gerber said. They expect to begin performing surgeries in mid-June.

The clinic has a waiting list of at least 3,000 existing patients who need free surgeries, it said. It also works with other clinics who can refer uninsured or underinsured patients.

The Lestonnac team hopes the new center can be a national model for other free clinics looking to provide care to people who can’t afford it.

“ This is a response to what's been going on for a long time,” Gerber said. "It's the healthcare system’s response, it's philanthropy's response. It's not a response by any Democratic or Republican party. It's a response by individuals recognizing the problem and creating a solution.”

The Los Angeles City Council decided Tuesday to put off the full effects of a major new state housing law by allowing low-rise apartment buildings in some neighborhoods where such housing has long been banned.

All council members voted in favor of those plans except for Traci Park, who was absent from the meeting.

California’s Senate Bill 79 is set to take effect July 1. The law overrides local limits on housing development by allowing apartment buildings between five and nine stories tall near train stations and rapid bus stops.

However, cities are allowed to postpone those changes until 2030 by developing their own incremental plans for more housing. L.A. elected leaders have chosen to delay. They’re doing so through the city’s new Low-Rise Ordinance, which aims to allow buildings up to four stories tall in 57 neighborhoods near transit lines.

Why it matters

L.A. lawmakers have tried many approaches to bring down L.A.’s high rents. But they have consistently voted to stop apartment developers from encroaching on the nearly three-quarters of city residential land reserved for single-family homes.

Pushed by state lawmakers, city leaders are now having to accept some changes in single-family neighborhoods located near public transit lines.

The reaction

Some local officials and homeowners have expressed frustration over new state limits on their ability to stop development in low-density zones. But advocates for more development said the council’s decision will help address high rents by allowing more housing in areas that have long been off-limits to new apartments.

“The City Council voted to open up high-resource single-family neighborhoods near transit stations,” said Scott Epstein, policy director with Abundant Housing L.A. “This reform is long overdue and will help build a future where Angelenos of all incomes can find homes in the neighborhoods of their choice.”

Where will the projects be allowed?

Officials with the city’s planning department said residents can see whether Low-Rise Ordinance projects will be allowed in their neighborhood by clicking on this interactive map and making two selections from the “layer list” menu: “Opportunity Station Sites Eligible for Low Rise” and “Sites Eligible for Low Rise Outside of Opportunity Station.”

The map shows that some of the areas eligible for new apartment buildings under this plan include Westside neighborhoods within a half-mile of the E Line’s Westwood/Rancho Park station, pockets of the San Fernando Valley near G Line stops, and parts of Eagle Rock along Colorado Boulevard’s planned North Hollywood to Pasadena rapid bus line.

Is this a done deal?

Both plans — the decision to delay full SB 79 implementation, and the new Low-Rise Ordinance — now go to Mayor Karen Bass for final approval. Council members are also considering some tweaks they say would help Low-Rise Ordinance projects get built.

Those changes would include letting developers build denser projects if they reserve more units for low-income renters, as well as rules that would let developers build ground-level parking instead of costlier underground parking. The council’s planning committee voted Tuesday to forward those suggestions to the full City Council for further debate.

There’s a new tool to fight illegal fireworks this Fourth of July: drones.

“A drone’s real-time aerial view can help officers assess situations faster, improve safety, support faster response times and ensure the right resources are sent where they’re needed most,” the Anaheim Police Department stated in an Instagram post.

Anaheim's department is the latest law enforcement agency using the technology to quickly identify illegal fireworks use. The Downey City Council is expected to vote Tuesday night on potential new fines and new rules that would allow local law enforcement to use drones to patrol neighborhoods for illegal fireworks usage.

How it works

Here's how the tech is put to use: Seconds after authorities receive a call reporting illegal fireworks activity, drones can take to the air, hovering above neighborhoods and businesses to find a specific location and an offender. The surveillance devices are equipped with night vision and zoom lenses that allow first responders to record high definition videos right from their Real Time Crime Center at the station.

Then, officers can determine whether to send out a patrol car or issue a citation for the incident.

Why it matters

The city’s drone usage comes as law enforcement agencies across Southern California brace for the annual flood of complaints about illegal firework use at this time of the year. Drones make the most effective use of time and resources, experts say.

“We'll typically see about 2,000 calls and about 300 related to fireworks,” Anaheim’s chief communications officer Mike Lyster explained about the Fourth of July. “It really is a better use of resources on what is always a very, very busy holiday for us.”

Drones allow officials to collect enough evidence to issue these citations. In Anaheim, the punishment starts at $1,000 and climbs to $3,000 by the third offense. But authorities say the goal is to curb illegal fireworks use altogether due to the risk of injury and wildfires.

Lyster hopes that people will think twice about using illegal fireworks this holiday — not just because of the fines — but because of its negative impact on local communities.

“The Palisades fire was ultimately started by illegal fireworks, and sadly, not in our city, but in our neighboring city, a young Anaheim girl died in an illegal fireworks incident last year,” Lyster said.

Where are drones already in use?

More cities are testing this method in order to crack down on illegal firework use. Sacramento, San Bernardino and Riverside are just a few of the other areas that have adopted this technology in recent years.

How do I know what's legal?

If you have any questions about what is legal or not in your community, a quick Google search can help.

Each county goes by different regulations for the types of fireworks you can use — if at all.

For example, parts of Anaheim allow “safe and sane” fireworks to be used only on the Fourth of July between 10 a.m and 10 p.m. This includes non-explosive, non-aerial devices like fountains, sparklers and smoke balls. State-approved fireworks will have a State Fire Marshal seal.

LAist staffer Anjanette Gile also contributed to this report.

The story first appeared on The LA Local.

Your neighborhood has a reporter. Have you met them yet?

On Saturday, coffee shops across L.A. are turning into places where you can tell a journalist exactly what’s been bugging you about your block … while drinking amazing coffee.

From Boyle Heights to Silver Lake to Inglewood to Long Beach, local reporters will be set up at neighborhood coffee shops from from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — to hear what’s on your mind. Got a tip about a pothole that’s been eating tires for years? A landlord the city keeps ignoring? A community hero nobody’s written about? We want to hear it all!

It’s part of Local News Day LA, a pop-up series organized by The LA Local that connects you with your local reporter and give you a chance to become the source instead of just the reader.

LAist has been meeting community members in person through LAist Listens tabling events by popping up at local businesses.

See below for the full list of participating media outlets and coffee shops — The LA Local and our media partners hope you’ll join us:

LAist will be joining The LA Local and other local media partners for Local News Day LA on June 27.

(

The LA Local

)

Where to find a journalist

1. The LA Local – Koreatown, Pico Union, Westlake will be hosted by Open Market
2. The LA Local – Inglewood and South LA will be hosted by Asteroid Vinyl Cafe
3. Boyle Heights Beat will be hosted by Picaresca Cafe
4. CalMatters will be hosted by Yia Caffe 
5. Calo News will be hosted by Cruzita’s Deli and Cafe
6. The Eastsider will be hosted by Rosebud Coffee (Highland Park location)
7. LAist will be hosted by Cafe Calle
8. Los Angeles Radio Collective will be hosted by Spoke Bicycle Cafe
9. LA Sentinel will be hosted by Patria Coffee
10. LA Taco will be hosted by Cafecito Organico (Silverlake location)
11. LA Public Press will be hosted by Holy Grounds Coffee & Tea
12. Long Beach Post will be hosted by Wrigley Coffee
13. Q Voice News will be hosted by Hot Java
14. USC Annenberg Media will be hosted by South LA Cafe (Western location)

Come enjoy a cup of coffee (or tea) with us while supplies last. 

A coalition of 17 states and a trade association representing U.S. wholesalers and distributors have sued California to block the enforcement of a stringent recycling law that aims to reduce plastic packaging waste.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court, argues that California’s recently finalized regulations that will gradually require companies to scale back single-use plastics and ensure all packaging is recycling or compostable should be struck down. The plaintiffs called the regulations “onerous mandates” that will cause steep price increases in everyday necessities that will be passed on, at least in part, to consumers.

“Once again, California is trying to enact a policy that negatively impacts the rest of the country. If California goes unchecked, consumers will be forced to pay more for basic necessities,” Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who led the coalition, said in a news release.

The law, called the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, was enacted in 2022.

“Virtually every product packaged or shipped in plastic containers, as well as a significant number of other types of packaging materials that merely incorporate plastics, fall into the Act’s remarkable sweep,” the lawsuit said.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, which represents companies that import and distribute goods in California, also joined the lawsuit.

“California is not entitled to pronounce nationwide policies,” Eric Hoplin, the trade association’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “Because the Act extends California’s regulatory reach far beyond its borders and brings within its sweep conduct wholly unconnected to California, the Act violates principles of federalism, the horizontal separation of powers, and due process.”

The lawsuit argues the law violates both the U.S. and California constitutions. It asks the court to declare California’s law invalid and unenforceable, and halt its implementation.

The lawsuit names as defendants Zoe Heller, director of California’s recycling agency known as CalRecycle, and the Circular Action Alliance, a nonprofit involved with implementing the law.

Melanie Turner, a spokesperson for CalRecycle, said in an emailed statement that the agency does not comment on pending litigation and that it remained focused on implementing the law.

The alliance said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit and closely monitoring developments while at the same time working to implement the law’s “ambitious goals.”

In a May news release announcing regulations under the law, state officials said the changes would fight plastics pollution while protecting the interests of taxpayers and local governments.

“California is shifting the responsibility of managing single-use plastic and packaging onto the producers. New packaging reforms lower waste costs for communities and decrease garbage and pollution across the state,” Environmental Protection Secretary Yana Garcia said in a statement. “This approach pushes producers to innovate and design packaging that truly supports a circular economy.”

Joining Nebraska in the lawsuit were 16 other states with Republican attorneys general: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.Environmental groups also have sued over the law. A coalition that included the Natural Resources Defense Council recently filed a complaint over what it said in a news release were “weakened” final regulations for the “landmark” law.