Ben Schneider

This project explores the history of hospitals in Los Angeles County between the 1960s and 1990s through the lens of hospital expansion. Using written and oral archives, this dissertation investigates the types of economic, political, and epidemiological problems that motivated health systems to expand. The project combines interdisciplinary social science work in the history of medicine, sociology of health, and health policy with biomedical analysis through dual-degree MD/PhD training; it explores the conflicts and cooperation between the city’s public and private hospital systems in the late twentieth century. In addition to historical research, the project includes collaborative teaching with community activist groups in public settings to advance health justice in Los Angeles.